Krista
by muzical
Summary: I'm Krista Thomas and I'm a muggle. I met this great guy in a pub one night, and it's changed my life forever. I can never go back to the way I was.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I stumbled into the bar, not because I was drunk, but because I was a clumsy fool. The bartender knew as much, as I had frequented this establishment several times in the past few weeks. I needed the nightly drink to help forget; to help begin the healing I so desperately needed.

"The usual?" Fred asked, seeing me trip over my own two feet.

"Yes," I replied and took my usual seat at the bar.

He placed the Jack and Coke on the bar in front of me and I handed him an old, rumbled bill. "Once I'm finished with this one, make me another, okay?" I didn't meet his eyes, just kept my head down, staring at the ice clinking against the sides of the glass.

"Rough night?" The barkeep asked, but didn't expect an answer. He knew not to talk when I was like this. I took a long sip, letting the ice hit my lips and send shivers down my spine.

I down the remainder drink and cringed at the strong whisky taste. As soon as the glass was emptied and placed back on the table, another one was waiting. I sipped this one slower, revelling in the strong taste.

"What can I get ya?" Fred asked the person next to me. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn't even been aware someone had sat down next to me.

"I'll take a Guinness." I stopped with my drink midway to my mouth. The voice sounded so rough, yet so familiar. I stole a sideways glance at him, my breath hitching in my throat.

He was gorgeous. His dark curls fell gracefully over his face and into his eyes. He was hunched over, staring down the neck of his beer. I hadn't realised I was staring until he looked up and caught my eyes. Turning away quickly, I reached for my glass and took a large swallow of my drink. His eyes left an impression in my mind. They were the darkest grey. I had never seen anyone with eyes that colour before and they fascinated me.

"Can I get you another drink, Krista?" Fred asked, stepping up in front of me.

I shook my head and reached for my purse, trying to pull out a few pounds for a tip when a hand touched mine.

"You're not leaving so soon are you?" The hands were cool and I snapped my head upward only to look into the fascinating grey eyes.

"I… uh…" I stammered.

"Here, have another one, on me." He signalled Fred over and handed him a bill. "Get the lady another one please, and another Guinness for me." He took his hand off mine and turned his upper body to face me. "What is a pretty girl like you doing alone in this pub?"

Before I could answer, Fred came back with out drinks. "Good luck getting her to answer," he said, placing the drinks on the counter. "She doesn't talk much, just has a drink and leaves."

"I'm sitting right here Fred," I said softly and sarcastically.

The young man kept his eyes on me, not paying Fred any mind. "So what are you doing here alone?"

"That's an awfully personal question Mr…" I trailed off, realizing I didn't know his name yet.

"Black. Sirius Black," he said with a sideways grin.

"What are you trying to be James Bond?" I was rolling with the sarcasm tonight.

He didn't answer, just smiled his crooked smile. "I didn't catch your name."

Do I tell the truth? Or should I make up a lie like most of the other regulars around here. He seemed nice enough, but that could be a cover. I opted for the truth. "Thomas. Krista Thomas," I said, smiling pleasantly.

He held out his hand and I shook it shakily. "Do you come here often?" Black asked curiously.

I tried to figure out why he wanted to talk to me. I wasn't overly attractive, very plain actually with limp brown hair and standard brown eyes; average height and I wasn't the skinniest person around. "I do," I said softly, not meeting his eyes. "Have you come here before? I haven't seen you."

He laughed softly. "No. I'm rarely on this side London. I had a… meeting down the road and decided to stop in for a drink. It's been a rough week."

I nodded, unsure of what to say in response.

Black stared at me, and I wasn't quite sure why. It was as if he was trying to decipher me, another thing I didn't understand. "What do you do for a living?" He asked conversationally as he took a sip of his beer.

I wrapped my hand around my glass and took a sip. "I'm a writer and no I most likely haven't written anything you would have read. And yes, I have been published." I shook my head at the common questions.

He smiled a crooked smile that I found myself attracted to. "A writer huh?"

"Yes." I took another sip of my Jack & Coke and avoided his eyes. "What do you do?"

I heard him chuckle as if I had said something funny. Looking up, I met his dark grey eyes and found myself lost. "I'm almost like a bobby I guess. However, I don't work for the locals."

Cocking an eyebrow, I found myself intrigued. "Are you like an investigator then?"

The sound of his laughter surrounded me. "No. Maybe one day I could tell you exactly what I do."

I furrowed my brow. "Are you like James Bond? Because I'm now really intrigued."

He laughed again. "No, nothing like James Bond. I'm a bit… darker than Bond."

Nodding, I drained the last of my drink. "Thank you," I said, gesturing towards my empty glass. "But I must be off; it's getting late."

As I rose off my stool he rose with me. "Until next time," he said smoothly. He took my hand in his and bent down slightly to kiss the back. "Until next time," he murmured again.

"Good night Mr. Black." I smiled and turned to wave at Fred. I was out the door before I knew what I was doing.

Turning back, I saw him still watching me. How odd? I had only caught one man's fancy… and that didn't work out so well. As was the reason I spent so much time at the pub.

But his eyes! He was so beautiful to look at. I felt myself drawn in by his eyes; caught up in the colour, the depth. How could I be so attracted to him after only just meeting him? Surely I can't be feeling this way, it must be a mistake.

I walked hastily to my car and climbed in the driver's seat. Locking the doors, I settled into the seat and leaned back. It took me a moment to calm my thoughts and start the car. I drove home in a daze, still thinking about the gorgeous young man from the pub. Upon arriving at my flat, I didn't remember how I got there. I had no recollection of driving the sharp turns and the narrow road outside the complex.

Climbing out of the car, I slammed the door behind me and power walked to the door. I struggled with putting my key in the lock. Once I got it open, I spun and locked it behind me. I collapsed against it, sliding down to the floor, keys and purse still in hand.

It was just one of those days. One of those nightmarish days where you wonder if there is someone above, and whether He/She/It is looking down just to ruin any positive ness you may have in your life. I often had those days, especially after Ian left me, but I mustn't dwell on that now.

I jumped at the sound of my phone ringing, shaking me from my reverie. I struggled to my feet and hurried to get the phone before the answering machine picked up. I cringed as I saw the name and number on the caller id. I picked up the phone and waited for the worst.

"Hullo Mum," I said in what I hoped was a happy tone.

"Why haven't you called me Krista? I've been waiting for you to call all night! Your father and I were worried sick!" My mother's frantic voice spoke shrilly over the phone.

I snorted away from the phone. I highly doubted my father was worried sick. He was like me; we both take things as they come. My mother was the worrier; he just sat back and waited for me to call. Here I was, twenty-one years old and my mother still expected me to call every day and come home every opportunity.

"I'm sorry Mum. I went out after work with a few of the girls." Well, that was partially true; I did go out, and there were girls from work there. We just weren't together. "I just walked in the door and was just going to call you. You beat me to it."

There was a pause on her end. "Well, you shouldn't stay out so late when you have to work in the morning." She paused for a moment, only to take a breath. "You wouldn't believe who I saw at the market yesterday! Carrie Marshall! You remember her."

I let my mother carry on her tedious chatter for a few minutes, commenting when necessary, but I really wasn't paying attention. My mind was still focused on the gentlemen from the bar. I only spoke to him for a few minutes, but he had intrigued me. He seemed different from any other man I had met.

"Krista? Krista, are you listening to me?" My mother's shrill voice caught me off guard, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Yes Mum, I'm listening. Carrie Marshall huh? I haven't seen her since graduation."

"Yes, yes I thought as much. Married now. Speaking of, have you found a date yet? Have any nice gentlemen at work caught your eye? You should start dating again soon; you don't want to let Ian to ruin your best years." I cringed when my mother mentioned my ex-boyfriend's name. She didn't know the heartbreak I had gone though over him; the heartbreak I was still going through.

"Yeah right. Listen mum, I have to go. I need to make sure I'm at work early tomorrow. Big deadline you know." I crossed my fingers, hoping she would take the bait and hang up the phone.

"Oh of course! I'll give you a ring tomorrow evening then. Try and find someone at work to go out with tomorrow. Surely there must be some young, single men in your office."

"Sure, sure. I'll ask around. I love you. Good night mum."

"Love you too. Good night Krista."

I placed the phone in the cradle and shook my head. Leave it to my mother to attempt to pull me out of my foul mood. She didn't know the full story behind Ian. She didn't know he cheated on me with Rebecca, my best friend. It's so stereotypical, so reminiscent of movies and of books. It was inconceivable to think that she was my best friend, so close I considered her my sister.

I was so in love with him, I even expected him to propose within the next few months. I certainly got a surprised when he came over to tell me that we were through, and he was going to marry Rebecca. Apparently, they were seeing each other behind my back for over a year. And we were only dating for a year and three months.

This flashed through my mind as I was getting ready for bed. I needed to calm myself before collapsing into bed; otherwise I would be awake all night.

Peaceful images flashed through my mind, as I tried to calm myself. The only problem was that the strange man from the bar kept showing up in my mind. I decided to concentrate on him, try to memorize his features in case I saw him again.

I laughed. "Sure Krista. Keep dreaming about strange men," I said as I rolled over, pulling the covers over my head and soon I was asleep. My dreams flooded with flashes of Ian, Rebecca, my mother, Fred and Sirius Black.

* * *

**AN: Yes, I know what you're thinking... another story? Can't this girl finish the ones she's started? **

**The answer is yes, I can. However, this idea started as a oneshot (If You're Gone) and I decided to expand the idea. I'm only posting this to see if there is any interest in this subject. Please leave a review and let me know what you think about this idea. If it's not popular, I'll take it down in a couple days. Thanks a bunch.**

**I love my readers and reviewers!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Michael, would you put these on my desk as you walk by? I have to go talk to Mr. Campbell before I head out." I handed my co-worker a small stack of files careful not to let them fall out of my hands and flutter to the floor as they did last time.

He smiled as he took them and I walked off to our boss' office. Knocking softly, I opened the door. "You wanted to see me Mr. Campbell?"

"Yes, yes! Ms. Thomas! Come in, come in!" He rose from his desk chair and I walked forward to shake his hand. He motioned for me to sit and I did, waiting to hear the reason for the meeting. My hands shook lightly, from nerves or fear, I wasn't sure.

My boss took a slight pause and then continued with the reason for this impromptu meeting. "I'm sure you're up-to-date on the latest… er… problems downtown. There have been a few unexplained deaths. I would like for you to take over covering these stories from Christopher."

I waited for him to change his mind. Surely he wasn't giving me the top story; the top story for me to research, to write about. "Th…Thank you sir," I managed to stutter.

"Now don't worry about doing anything tonight. Enjoy your night and come in tomorrow morning ready to go." He smiled as he stood and reached out to shake my hand. "You've been showing me what you can do for two years now, let's see if you can keep it up."

I shook his hand and held my excited giggle until I got out the door. Once it shut behind me and I was safe at my desk, I shrieked. Immature yes, but this was the biggest story of my career so far. It could even be the biggest story of my entire career. I grabbed my purse and made a quick decision to have a drink at the pub tonight, not to commiserate as usual but to celebrate.

"I hear you got Chris' story," Michael said, walking up to my desk.

I grinned up at him. "I did. This is the greatest thing to happen in such a long time. I feel bad about Chris though. He's having a rough time this year."

He reached out and pulled me in for a friendly hug. "Don't worry about Chris. You deserve it Krista. You've worked hard these past two years. It's about time someone other than your co-workers recognized your hard work."

I laughed and pretended to wipe a tear from my eye. "Thanks Michael. I'm glad you feel that way."

We separated and he took my hand. "If you need any help with research or just need someone to bounce ideas off, let me know. I'll be more than happy to help you out."

My smile was smaller this time as I sized him up. What was this about? He'd never shown the slightest bit of interest in me, work or otherwise. "Thanks Michael. I'll be sure to keep you in mind. Now if you excuse me, I have to get home and call my mother. It's my night to call and she gets antsy if I don't call before five." I fiddled with my keys and slowly made my move for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow Michael," I called as I quickly exited.

"Bye Krista," I heard him call, but I was halfway down the stairs. I shouldn't punish him; he didn't know anything about Ian and my problems this year. He just knew what I told the office, my boyfriend and I split on mutual terms. Ha, that was a laugh.

I took the long way home, thinking about my good fortune that day. The biggest story in the city right now and I got to cover it! What a promotion! I could finally show the office what I could do. I'd been covering the small stories for two years: Cat Caught in a Tree, Child Trapped in Well, Iguana Runs for Public Office. Yes, the last one was a real story. Someone trained their iguana to walk on two legs and open its mouth on cue to make it look like the animal was talking. It shows what people will do for attention.

Pulling into the parking space in front of my flat, I turned off the ignition and sat there, my mind running a mile-a-minute. I'd shower, then go to the pub and have a drink to celebrate my good fortune. Maybe that handsome stranger would be there and we could have a conversation that consisted of more than me stuttering and acting like a giddy schoolgirl.

I managed to get myself out of my car and into the flat without so much as tripping or stubbing my toe, which in itself was a miracle. After retrieving my mail from the box, I shut and locked my front door. I dropped the keys into my key bin and placed the mail on the table. There wasn't anything important, just a few bills and a letter from some company saying I won some money… sure I did.

The house was a bit chilly, but that was getting to be normal for the end of October. I turned up the heat a smidge and ran up the stairs to the bathroom for a hot shower. Letting the water cascade over my head, I let my mind wander. I got the biggest promotion of my career! I couldn't think of how my day could get any better.

As the hot water fizzled to lukewarm, I turned off the taps and wrapped myself in two towels; one around my hair and one around my body. I walked to my closet and carefully chose my outfit carefully. After studying my choices, I finally selected my dark denim skirt and casual green blouse. I didn't want to appear too eager to see him… although, that outfit may be a bit too dressy for a pub. The skirt changed to a pair of faded jeans, but I kept the blouse. That selection was more casual and looked like I just left work.

After glancing at the clock, I ran back down the stairs to grab my purse. I was almost out the door when the phone rang.

"Bloody hell mum," I exclaimed as I dropped my purse back on the counter.

I rushed over to grab the phone before the caller hung up. "Hello?"

"_Hi Krista,"_ said the calm, sweet voice on the other end of the phone. I cringed. Ian.

My tone turned sour quick. "How did you get this number? What do you want?"

"_Your mum said you moved and gave me your number. Can't I just call to talk?"_ He sounded so sweet; I nearly melted at the sound of his voice. It brought back so many memories.

Shaking my head, I reminded myself how much he hurt me. "No. You lost that privilege. What do you want Ian?" I made sure to clip his name to let him know I was irritated.

He sighed. _"It's Rebecca."_

Now it was my turn to sigh. "Look Ian, I really don't care to hear about your relationship. Whatever problems you two may be having, leave me out of it! I could care less."

"_Please Issa,"_ he said, trying to get my interest by using his nickname for me. _"I really need to talk to you!"_

"You can't do this to me! I refuse to be drawn back into your life! Do you have any idea how much pain you put me through? You and Rebecca ruined me. You ruined my happiness. I can't do that again. It's been four months; I'm finally getting myself happy again. Leave me alone." I nearly shouted the last sentence. "Good-bye Ian." I gently placed the receiver into the cradle, hanging up on him.

I tried to calm my breathing, and slowly slid down the counter to sit on the floor. How could he do this? Did he think he could just call me out of the blue and I'd listen? Did he think I'd offer advice on his relationship? How could I put everything he did behind me?

"Damn you Ian," I shouted the tears starting to stream down my face. "Damn you, damn you, damn you!"

I gave up my plans to go to the pub. I knew I wouldn't be able to calm myself enough to wash my face and celebrate. The bastard ruined my good day. He always knew how to ruin a good thing, even if he didn't know it.

* * *

**AN: Okay, so I know I said I wouldn't update until I finished one of my other stories, but all I did yesterday was write _this_ story... so I'm a couple chapters a head. 5 reviews is okay I guess. But compared to the people who actually read it? Hmm.. But thanks to:  
AliciaFB  
HpC0ldplay  
thewerewolfgal (who is just awesome and reviews EVERYTHING :-D)  
alwayslaughingonafastcamel  
AllenPitt**

**If you want your name added to the list, well I suggest you review! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I couldn't believe it. It was my first day of actual work, no more crummy little stories. I had one of the top stories in the local newspaper. Six deaths had been unexplained in the past two weeks. Now, London is a large city, but six unexplained deaths? It was inconceivable.

"Everything going alright Krista?" Michael came up to my desk with a small stack of papers. "I thought you might like these. They're the police reports from the last two murders. Just came in today."

I smiled up at him, trying to ward off any interest he may have had. "Thanks. Could you put them on that chair please? I just want to finish this before going home for the night."

"You're not staying late?" Michael smiled a weird, crooked smile. I think he meant it to be flirting, but I thought it was strange.

"No. I have too many things to do at home. I might take some work home with me though." I finished typing the document in front of me and sighed. "And now I'm out. Have a great weekend Michael."

I grabbed my purse and the files he had just brought and waved at him as I walked out the door. Michael was nice enough, but he gave me the willies sometimes.

My car was out in the employee's lot. I strolled out, pulling my keys out of my purse as I went. It was a nice, crisp autumn day. The leaves were almost all reds, browns and oranges, it was beautiful.

Driving home, my mind ran over the day, and everything I had left to do. It was going to be a busy weekend. There were police reports to go over, drafts to write and pictures to go over. A very busy weekend.

I arrived at home and went through my usual routine: shower, cup of tea and a good book. After settling down to read, I glanced at the clock. It was only 9:30; I could always head to Fred's pub and get a drink.

My clothes were still on my dresser from my missed night out last night, damn that Ian. I quickly changed and grabbed my keys. After glancing in the mirror and adjusting my hair, I locked my front door behind me and drove to the pub.

The window in front was foggy, which meant the usual smokers had taken up residence for the night. The breath hitched in my throat as I saw a familiar dark head sitting against the bar. I don't know why, but he fascinated me. I barely knew him, and had only talked to him for maybe thirty minutes.

I took a deep breath as I walked through the door and waved to Fred. "Krista! Didn't get see you yesterday. How are you?"

I smiled as I answered, trying to hide my attitude on the subject. "I had a late phone call that… ruined my night I guess you could say. Can I get my usual?" Fred nodded and busied himself making my drink.

"Why hello there Thomas, Krista Thomas." He smiled the crooked smile I had already grown to like.

"Black, Sirius Black," I replied, sitting on the stool next to him. "Thanks Fred." The old barkeep placed my drink in front of me then meandered down the bar, chatting with some other patrons.

"Rough night last night?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I had an unexpected phone call from…" I trailed off, not really wanting to go into details.

"A boyfriend?" He tried to hide the disappointment from his voice, but I caught it.

I shook my head slowly. "Ex. We broke up four months ago. Apparently he wanted relationship advice for him and my former best friend. They're wedding is next March." I couldn't hold the bitterness from my voice. It seeped through with every word.

"You're kidding." He stared at me, his grey eyes in shock.

"I wish I was." I picked up my drink and took a sip, letting the coolness flow over my tongue, the ice cooling my lips.

He blew air out his lips and made a whistling sound. "I'm sorry. I wish I could say more, but… wow."

"So Mr. Black," I started, changing the subject. "What brings you to this pub again tonight? Another meeting perhaps?" I smiled, trying to flirt unsuccessfully. I was never good at that, flirting. I always ended up looking like a moron, especially when I got up to leave and tripped over my own feet.

Sirius grinned. "Actually I've been here waiting for you. I came in last night, but you weren't here. So I came back tonight and here you are. I would have come tomorrow too, if you hadn't shown up today."

I stared. "You're joshing me." A man, waiting for me? Impossible.

"He's not," called Fred from the other end of the bar. "Came in looking for you yesterday, asked all sorts of questions too. What you did, how long you'd been coming here. I put in a good word for you lassie." Sirius turned and grinned at the barkeep as I felt the blush rising in my cheeks.

"He did put in a good word," Sirius whispered to me. "Said you are beautiful young woman who needed a solid man in your life."

I put my hand up to my cheek, feeling the heat radiating off it as Sirius laughed. "You look cute with some colour. You're too pale."

The blush intensified and I turned away from him, staring down at my drink. "Please don't turn away." He paused and reached out to touch my arm. The feeling of his finger on my skin sent an electric shock through my body. I pulled my arm away and spun to face him. "I'm sorry," he said, leaning away from me.

"No, don't worry about it. I'm not sure why I flinched. I guess I'm just not used to…" I trailed off.

"Say, do you want to get out of here?" He gestured towards the door. "We could go for a ride on my motorcycle. It even flies." The grin had returned to his face and I found myself laughing.

"It flies? You're joshing me again." I leaned against the counter, resting my head in my hand. His eyes drew me in; it was almost as if I could see straight to his soul.

"Maybe I am," he said with a cocky smile. "So, do you want to? I promise I'm not one of those weirdoes."

My eyes flickered back to where Fred was standing. He was nodding vigorously, telling me to go. Aren't you supposed to trust your friendly neighbourhood bartender? Wasn't he always the one who steered people in the right direction?

"Sure. But I'll follow you, I don't want to leave me car here." I reached into my purse to pull out the money for my drink, but Sirius stopped me. He threw ten pounds on the counter and waved to Fred.

"Thanks mate, I owe you!" He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me out the door.

I was hyperventilating. I had never done anything like this before. How could I call myself a decent young woman now? I was going out with a strange man whom I had just met. My mother would murder me in my sleep if she knew what I was doing. Father would be so disappointed! What was I getting in to?

"So where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I pulled my purse tighter to me, feeling the small can of mace hitting my side.

"Would you like to go to my place? It's really not far. I'd like to get to know you a bit better." He locked his eyes with mine and I saw his sincerity. At least, I thought it was sincerity, for all I knew he could be a mass murder.

"You're place," I squeaked. "Sure." What could it hurt?

"Just follow me. I'll try to go slow," he grinned again, his bright white teeth shining in the streetlight.

I jogged slowly to my car and slowly followed him out of the parking lot. We drove through the country, passing several farms and fields on both sides of the road. He must have taken the back way for the next thing I knew, we were stopping outside a small house down the street from where I used to live.

"And here we are, home sweet home," he said after turning off the bike. He placed his helmet in a back compartment and took my hand, leading me up the steps.

I giggled as he fumbled with the keys and he flashed his grin. "It isn't much, but it's home. I bought this place two years ago with some inheritance money I got from my Uncle when he passed. You're the first visitor I've had in a long time. My best mate just had a baby so he's hardly away from his family."

Nodding, I followed him through the front door. The place was spacious with large windows to let the light in during the daytime. The living room was the first thing you walked into and all the furniture looked new, odd for someone who had just moved out of his parent's house. It was bright, with lots of lights all over the room.

"So, what do you think?" He dropped the house key on a hook by the door.

I shrugged out of my jacket and he took it, hanging it up in a hall closet I hadn't noticed when I walked in. "It's nice. Big and bright."

"I don't like the dark. Well, I like it, but not when I'm awake. No, that doesn't make sense. I like having lights…" he trailed off, a faint blush coming over his cheeks.

He shrugged as I laughed at his obvious discomfort. It broke the uncomfortable atmosphere and I felt much more comfortable. "I understand. I like having a lot of light on too. It makes the place seem safer."

"Yes," he said, nodding with me. "That's exactly it." He stared into my eyes for a few seconds then shook his head, as if shaking away a daydream. "Did you want something to drink? I have some tea, water, soda, juice…" he rattled off a few more drinks as I looked around.

There weren't many photos around unlike my flat which was covered in photos. I couldn't find a single family portrait anywhere. This wasn't odd I guess, many men didn't display their family. He did have the most recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendar up in the kitchen and I giggled when I saw it.

"So, what to drink?" He asked, popping his head into the hallway.

"Umm, nothing right now, thanks." He led me further into the house, sitting me down on the couch.

"I really like you Krista and I want to be completely honest from the start," Sirius said, his voice took on a sombre tone.

I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about. What could be so bad he was this nervous? Worried even? "Whatever it is, you can tell me. I can't promise I won't be surprised…" I trailed off, unable to find the words to say what I wanted to say.

He smiled his beautiful smile, the one that I'd grown to love over these two short days. "What do you know about magic?"

I laughed at him. "What do you mean? Like witches, cauldrons, and potions? Old hags with warts on their noses?"

The smile stayed on his face and his voice took on a laughing tone. "Well, sort of. Do you believe in it? In magic, I mean."

Shrugging my shoulders, I didn't know how to answer. "I never really thought about it. I suppose those things could exist."

This time, the smile left his face. "Could you promise me one thing?" When I nodded he continued. "Promise me you won't run away without me explaining things, okay? Could you promise me that?"

"Sure but I don't…" my voice trailed off again. Now I was really intrigued. Why would I run away? What could he do or say that would make me run?

He pulled a small stick of wood from his pocket. It had intricate designs carved on it and it looked old, as if it had been used quite a bit. But used for what, I hadn't a clue. "What is…?" I started softly.

He took a deep breath. "I've never told anyone this, well no muggles at least. Krista, I'm a wizard." He met my eyes and stared, as if waiting for me to jump up and run out the door. I had to admit, I was a bit nervous and scared.

"You're a what?" I whispered, my gaze moving from his dark grey eyes to the stick in his hand.

Sirius chuckled. "I'm a wizard and this is my wand." He chuckled again, as if my reaction was exactly what he was expecting. "I know, it's a bit much to take in…" he paused, waiting to see what I would say.

"You're crazy," I said and stood up quickly and walked to the door.

He hastily put the _stick_ back into his pocket and chased after me. "Come on now, you promised to let me explain."

"Explain what exactly? You're insane! You expect me to believe this; to believe that you're a… a wizard; to believe you have a magic wand?" My hand was on the doorknob and I was prepared to yank the door open and run but something kept me there, something forced me to stop and listen. "Wait, what did you call me? Before you told me that crazy story. Muddle?"

He laughed, obviously thankful I hadn't decided to run yet. "I said muggle, it means 'non-magic' person." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Would you please sit back down? Would you please let me explain?"

I nodded, still unsure as to why I hadn't bolted yet. It's not like I was told some outrageous story everyday and knew how to cope. This was insane.

He led me back to the couch and I sat down on the edge, keeping myself ready for anything. Smiling, he pulled out the wooden stick again. "Can I show you something? Maybe if you see it, you'll be able to believe it better?"

I nodded again and he murmured some words and a picture frame came flying towards him. He caught it right before it hit the arm of the chair he was sitting in. My jaw dropped. "What the bloody hell was that?" I exclaimed. My brain was running a mile a minute trying to find a logical excuse for what just happened.

"I summoned this picture from the other room," he said with his voice steady. He lightly tossed it onto the seat next to me on the couch. I looked down and saw five smiling faces, four men and a woman, who were waving to me.

"Why is this picture moving? Is it some new hologram?" I picked up the picture and looked at the faces. I recognized one as Sirius. The woman had bright red hair and had her arm around the taller man who had dark hair and wore glasses over his bright eyes. The couple stood next to a short, portly man who was standing off to the side, as if he didn't quite fit in. The last man in the picture was about the same height Sirius. He had sandy coloured hair and a large scar across his left cheek. The group looked happy, content.

Sirius laughed. "No, no hologram. Wizard pictures move, the people even walk out of the frame once in a while. Those are my best friends." He moved so that he was sitting next to me on the couch. I flinched when his arm brushed mine and his face took on a hurt expression for a moment, but when I looked back it was gone. Taking the picture from me, he pointed out the names of the people. The woman was named Lily and the man she had her arm around James, Sirius' best friend. The portly man was Peter and the scarred man was Remus.

I stared at the people for a few minutes, watching them laugh move. My mind was awestruck. Could this really be real? "What else can you do?" I whispered, still staring at the picture.

The smile appeared back on his face and he murmured a few more words again. This time, a glass appeared on the coffee table. When he murmured again, water spurted out the end of his stick… wand, and filled the glass. "Go ahead, you look like you could use some water," he smirked and waited for my reaction.

Staring at him, I picked up the glass and sniffed it, watching him laugh at me. "It's okay, it's not poisoned, I promise." After taking a small sip, I placed the glass on the table. I turned back to him and waited. "Are you okay?"

I shrugged my shoulders, unable to trust my voice enough to respond.

"Krista, I understand if this is a bit much for you. I'm glad you sat like you promised, but if this is too much, if you don't want to deal with this, I'll understand. I didn't want to lie to you, just in case… something came out of this." He sat back, resting his arm on the armrest. "I understand if you want to leave, but if you do, please don't tell anyone about this. We're not supposed to tell muggles, it would blow our cover."

"Who would I tell?" I asked softly, my voice cracking. Taking a deep breath, I too sat back against the couch. "No one would believe me anyways."

He laughed, the smile growing on his face, his dark eyes lighting up. "That's true." He struggled to control his humour. When his smile faded, I took a deep breath, unsure of what was coming next. "Are you going to leave?"

"I don't know," I managed to whisper. "It's all so much. Everything I thought I knew just changed."

"I know. But I won't hurt you, I promise that. I'm one of the good guys," he said with a laugh.

Shivering, I looked away his eyes. "Does that mean there are bad guys?" I didn't think I wanted to know the answer.

I heard his sharp intake of breath and I knew. "Yes, there are. But don't worry," he leaned forward and reached out to my chin, turning my face towards him, my eyes meeting his. "I will keep you safe."

Looking into his eyes, I felt my heart start beating rapidly. This hadn't happened since… well, I didn't remember the last time it happened. It certainly hadn't happened with Ian. He leaned in closer and I could feel his warm breath on my lips. I couldn't shut my eyes because if I did, I was certain he would disappear and I would find myself alone in my flat, a sad romance novel on my lap.

He smiled as he kept leaning in, his lips slowly making their way towards mine. I could feel the electric charge as our lips met. Feeling the softness of his lips made me close my eyes. If I was dreaming I might as well go along with it.

We kissed, slow and gently, one hand still on my chin, the other tangling itself in my hair, enhancing the kiss, forcing us closer together. I realized my hands were still by my side, so I raised my arms, reaching around to tangle my fingers in his lovely dark hair.

I felt myself leaning backward on to the couch, and he leaned back with me, moving himself to rest on top of me. His kisses moved from my lips to my neck: kissing gently on my chin, the hollow of my throat, and the spot right below my earlobe.

"Mmm, wait," I said breathlessly. "Sirius." He pulled back slightly, kissing the corner of my mouth.

"Yes Krista." His voice sounded as breathless as mine. He nuzzled my cheek with his nose.

"I… I can't do this."

"Do what, kiss me?" There was laughter in his voice and he smirked at me.

"No, _this_." I pushed him back slightly and he took the hint. He sat up and I sat up with him.

"I'm sorry," he said with an honest tone of sincerity. "I didn't mean to get so carried away, I promise." The smirk left his face and he almost looked scared, as if I was going to jump up and run away.

"No, it's okay." I glanced at my watch, noticing the time was later than I thought. "Oh no, I have to get home. I have to work in the morning. There's a huge deadline coming up…"

Sirius took my hand. "You… you don't have to go home. You could always stay here." His voice wavered and I smiled. "We don't have to do anything. I promise. You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

"I don't know…" I glanced around, trying to make the difficult decision. I hadn't spent the night at a man's apartment since Ian, and well, we all knew how that turned out.

"Please? I just feel like, if you leave, you may not come back." His eyes showed nervousness and I couldn't help but cave.

I nodded. "Alright, I'll stay. But we're not doing anything."

He nodded vigorously. "Of course not. I don't want to ruin anything. Come on, you must be hungry. Let me cook something for you."

Taking my hand, he led me to the small kitchen table and sat me in a chair. He quickly busied himself chopping vegetables and browning chicken. Before I knew it, he had placed a plate in front of me with a glass of water.

What was I getting into?

* * *

**AN: Wow, ya'll are really getting spoiled with updates :-D I have this story in my head and it won't go away!! Not that it's a bad thing, but I need to finish Cassie and the Order first. I promise that chapter will be up very soon. I'm almost done... just have to do a final edit.**  
**Let me know something in your review: does Krista seem MarySueish? I'm really trying to not make her one... as my lead female characters tend to have that bad attribute. If so, could you give me some suggestions on making her NOT a Mary-Sue? Not that I'm completely turned off to having her be one... but I'd really like to write a good character for once. I'm really proud of this story so far.**

**wow... long author's note. In summation: please leave a review on your way out and help me answer my dilemma :-) Thanks you guys are AWESOME!**

**AllenPitt, Snufflessweetie, thewerewolfgal, HpC0ldplay, Saffygirl, amrawo YOU ALL ROCK!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When I woke up the next morning, the previous night felt like a long, drawn-out dream. I didn't know if Sirius had really said those things to me or not. There was only one way to find out, give him a call and see if he'd meet me for lunch. Was I really going to ask a guy out? Yes. Its 1980… of course I can ask a guy out.

I climbed out of bed and made my way to the shower. I stayed in there along time, letting the hot water relax my tense shoulder muscles. When I stepped out, I was a lot calmer than when I went in.

My closet was full, as the day before had been laundry day, so I peeked through the mess of blouses and pants to find my favourite purple blouse and dark denim jeans. The phone rang as I was buttoning up the last buttons on the blouse.

"Hello?" I asked after I picked up the receiver.

"_Hi, Krista? This is Sirius."_ The rough, familiar voice said. My heart fluttered and I slapped at my chest to stop the fluttering but no success.

"Hi," I squeaked and quickly cleared my throat. "Hi. How are you?" I hoped my voice sounded normal, but at the rate I was going already… who knew.

"_I'm good, I'm good. So, I was wondering __what you were doing today and if you wanted to go out for lunch?"_ I nearly dropped the phone. Was he really asking me out?

I took a breath. "Honestly, I was just getting ready to call you." I could hear his smile over the phone. "I'd love to go for lunch. Do you have any special place in mind?"

"_Well I was thinking of this little café down the street from my flat. Did you want to meet there? Or I can come and pick you up."_

Pick me up? Really? "No, I'll meet you there. What's the address?"

"_Okay. It's 158 Wyndham Road in Southwark. The name of the café is Ali's Café."_

"I know where that is. What time shall I meet you?" By this time, my breathing had returned to normal and my heartbeat slowed.

"_Shall we try for 1:30? Is that enough time?"_ I glanced at the clock; it was 12:30 now, just enough time for me to give my mum a quick call.

"Sure, that's plenty of time. I'll see you then." The smile wouldn't leave my face. I couldn't wait for the next hour to pass!

"_All right Krista, I'll see you then. Bye."_ I heard the click of the phone after I responded to his good-bye. I was seeing him again, two days in a row!

I grimaced as I reached for the phone. My hand shook as I slowly dialled the number to my mother's house. It rang three times before I heard my mother's voice on the other end.

"_Hello?"_ Her musical voice answered the phone.

"Hi mum. How are you?"

"_Oh Krista! Alan, its Krista,"_ I heard her yell to my father. Knowing him, he just grunted a response and kept his eyes on the telly. There was a big football game on today he just couldn't miss. _"How are you honey? Everything going alright with work?"_

"Yes mum, everything's fine. I got a promotion." I could hear her excitement over the phone before she even said a word.

"_You did! What are you going to be doing now?"_

"I'm lead reporter on the story about those mysterious deaths. I start on Monday with my research and writing. Christopher had the story before, but something's wrong with him, he's not having such a great year."

"_Oh that's too bad for Christopher, but wonderful for you! My daughter, an important journalist!" _She was giggling like a schoolgirl. Had I known this was going to make her happy, I would have worked harder earlier.

"Yes, that's me, a real journalist." We chit chatted for several more minutes as I tried to move the conversation towards my other news. "Well mum, I have other news." I crossed my fingers and hoped she take the news well.

"_Oh! What else could you have to say? I just talked to you on Thursday!"_

"Well, you know that pub I go to often? Well I met someone there." I held my breath, waiting for the scream to come across the phone lines.

"_You met someone? That's wonderful, what's he like?"_ I was shocked. My breath flew out of my mouth in a big gust as I tried to figure out why she wasn't yelling. I met someone at a pub… not a decent place.

"I spent last evening with him. He cooked me dinner and we talked until almost midnight. He's… different, not like anyone I've met before. He's funny, has gorgeous hair and the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen." I was excited now as I described him to mum. He really was different and his eyes were now my favourite colour.

"_He cooked dinner? Ian never cooked you dinner! What does he do?"_ Mum began firing questions off a mile-a-minute. How did I feel about him? Was he cute?

"Yes mum, he is very good looking. From what he said, he's sort of like a bobby, but not like the locals. We're going out for lunch in a few minutes; he called about a half hour ago."

"_Oh! Then I should let you go! You have to get dressed and get ready to go. I'll call you tomorrow to find out how it went. Oh I'm so happy for you! Have fun! Love you!"_ My mum hung up the phone before I got a chance to say good-bye.

I put the receiver back in the cradle and searched around the house for my purse. I found it ten minutes later, exactly where I left it the night before when I came home. Figures.

I rummaged in the purse for my keys; after finding them, I shut and locked the door. My car was only a few paces from my front door. I knew exactly where the café was and it took me only twenty minutes to arrive.

Sirius' motorbike was parked in front and he was leaning against it with a grin on his face. "Hi there," he said after I had parked my car and gotten out of the driver's seat.

"Hi," I said softly. I walked up to him and he took my hand, kissing the back.

We walked through the door and he quietly talked to the hostess. The next thing I knew, we were walking to the back of the café and being seated at a quiet table in the back. The hostess handed us menus and disappeared, leaving us alone, in silence.

Silence. We stared at our menus and waited for the waitress.

"Hi, my name is Caitlyn and I'll be your waitress. Can I get you something to drink? Or are you ready to order?" A young girl came up to take our order. What amazed me was that Sirius barely paid any attention to her. He glanced at her as he gave his order, but quickly returned his gaze to me.

Once she left with our orders, we were left in silence. Sirius cleared his throat to break the silence. "So, how are you today?"

"I'm okay, but it's still early. How are you?" I smiled; feeling a bit more relaxed now that the silence had been broken.

"I'm better now that you're here." I felt my cheeks grow warm and he laughed as the red colour spread. "Well, did you have a pleasant evening?"

"Yes. I did have a good evening. It was quiet. Was your pleasant?" Krista, couldn't you come up with your own questions? Not very original, are you?

He must have been thinking something along the same lines as he chuckled after my question. "I did. I watched something on the telly and called my friend."

Our drinks came and then the food. We busied ourselves eating, not taking too much time to carry on our conversation. I was trying to figure out how to broach the subject of the previous night. How does one bring that up? Thankfully, I didn't have to.

"Krista, about last night," Sirius started once the waitress had taken away our plates. "I'm sorry if I overwhelmed you. I didn't mean to." He actually looked bothered by the fact that I may not have been able to cope with what he had told me.

"No, I'm not overwhelmed, just…" I paused, unsure of how to explain what I was feeling. "It's just so strange. I didn't think anything like this existed. Everything I knew just changed."

"Yes, it is a bit… inundating. Do you understand why I wanted you to know? Why I had to tell you before this went any further?"

I shook my head no. That had actually been bothering me since the previous night, why had he told me?

Sirius sighed. "I don't know why, but I really like you. Even though we've only spoken a couple times, I didn't want to start a possible relationship off with a lie. I've done it before, and it didn't end well. When I said I had something to tell her, she immediately knew I had been lying and didn't wait to find out what I needed to say. It hurt because I really think I loved her."

Nodding, I stared down at my glass, twirling my straw causing the ice to clink against the glass. "I'm sorry if I scared you, it wasn't my intention." He reached across the table and took my hand, holding it tightly in his.

"You didn't scare me," I responded softly. That was the truth; I wasn't scared, not really. I was nervous; nervous about how this related to me and how it would concern me.

"Good," he said, flashing his grin. "We're having a party next week to celebrate Halloween and a 3 month birthday. Would you like to come with me? I'd like for you to meet my friends."

What? How were we at this point already? We'd only just met! Shouldn't this be going a bit slower? Don't we go on a date before I meet his friends?

"Um, well I don't know." I tried to hide the nervousness from my voice, but didn't succeed.

"Oh, okay. You don't have to, it was just a suggestion." He didn't bother to hide the sadness from his face.

"Can I think about it? This is just going a bit too fast for me. I just got out of a relationship four months ago and I'm not sure I can…" I trailed off, unsure of how I was going to finish the sentence.

"Of course. I understand. I apologize." He let go of my hand and pulled his back to grip his glass. A cold shiver went over me after he pulled his hand away. It was upsetting, like I was missing something.

"It's not that I don't like you, don't get me wrong. I like you a lot; I just don't know what I'm doing." I offered a smile and he gave one back, though not his usual grin. "I'm just scared. No, not of you," I added after I saw the look of surprise that crossed his face. "I'm just scared of being in a relationship. The last one didn't end well and it feels like it was my fault."

"That was the guy who was cheating on you, right? And he's going to marry your friend?"

I nodded. It was my fault; why else would he be cheating on me for so long with Rebecca?

"Krista, that's not your fault. Not by a long shot. You didn't do anything wrong, you couldn't have!" He moved to sit in on the seat next to me and put his arm around my waist, pulling me towards him.

He must have sensed that I was going to cry as he pulled my head into his chest, hiding my eyes from public view. "Give me a minute okay?" He said softly, pulling his wallet out of his pants and throwing some bills on the table. "Let's get out of here."

I nodded and followed him out. He held my hand as he led me out the door and to our vehicles. My old green car looked out of place in the parking lot full of new motorbikes and new BMWs.

"Are you okay to drive?" He looked down into my eyes.

"Of course I am," I snapped and he flinched. "I'm sorry; I just don't like to be talked to like I'm a child."

A smile flickered across his face and I glared at him. He coughed and managed to put on a serious face. "I apologize. I didn't realize I was talking to you like a child."

I rummaged through my purse and pulled out my keys. "Thank you for lunch."

"When can I see you again?" He interrupted.

I stuttered, unsure of what to say. "Umm, I, uh. I have a lot of work I need to do. I don't know anything about my new story and need to research…" I smiled as his smile turned down into a frown. He looked an awful lot like a puppy dog begging.

Despite my annoyance, I laughed. "Call me, okay? I'll try and make some time. Thank you again for lunch." I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Drive carefully," he kissed my cheek in return as I climbed into my car. I drove off, leaving him to stand and watch the tail end of my car.

* * *

**AN: okay, so a rather pointless fluff chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: 10 reviews! The beginning does go very fast... if you've read the ONESHOT "If You're Gone" this story is following almost the exact thing. It will start to slow down real soon, once I get this fluff out of the way.**

**BTW: The cafe Krista and Sirius went to is an actual place in Southwark at that exact address... or so google tells me. Please leave a review on your way out :-) They make my day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I spent that Sunday afternoon and Monday morning reading through police reports and trying to find a connection between the murders. As far as I could see, there wasn't one. All the victims were of various ages ranging from three to sixty. Most didn't even show signs of a struggle. How was that possible?

After spending the beginning of the week going over Christopher's notes, I was able to form my basic story plan. I had to research the victims more and that involved several communications with the police department.

There hadn't been any more victims since the previous week. An entire family had been murdered, ages ranging from 3-31 and in the weeks before that, two brothers Gideon and Fabian Prewett. There was no connection between the two. Nothing at all.

"Krista, have you found any links yet?" Elizabeth asked as she stepped up to my desk near the end of the day on Tuesday.

I shook my head. "No. I'm out of options! I don't know what else is left. They range in ages, we have a mix of male and females, they all range in skin tone… I just don't know what to make of it." I sighed and dropped my head down to my desk.

"I'm sure you'll find something soon. There has to be a link; this many murders can't be random." Elizabeth patted my shoulder then headed off, leaving me to my mess of papers.

After another thirty minutes, I couldn't take another second of this pile of papers. I couldn't take any more newspaper articles describing some of the victims, the family pictures. The names all bled into the other and my mind swarmed.

I packed up several files and my most recent draft of my debut article and headed for the door before I could get another question on this topic. I raced down the steps and out to the car. The papers ended up on my passenger seat and I started the car.

This time, I concentrated on making my way home safe and alive. The drive was familiar and comfortable. I drove up the winding hill and through the sharp curves to reach my flat. The lawn needed to be mowed and the garden weeded, but it was home. I was safe here, at least in my naïve mind.

The files made their way to the floor by my typewriter and I busied myself fixing dinner. Once the onions, peppers and chicken were chopped and browned and the pasta was cooked, I mixed it all together with the lemon dressing and sat down to eat. I managed to keep my mind off the job and on other things, like the party I was invited to on Friday. Did I want to go to a party where I didn't know anyone save one person? Could I be that brave?

I was never one for party situations, especially when I didn't know anyone. This would definitely be a step forward, but was I ready?

As I picked up the phone, I crossed my fingers, hoping he was home and would answer the phone. It rang once, twice and a third time. On the fourth ring, I heard a click and a rough voice answered.

"_Hullo?"_

"Hi, Sirius? This is Krista." I kept my fingers crossed; now hoping he would talk to me and not hang up like I feared.

"_Krista! It's so nice to hear from you! How are you?"_ I could hear his smile across the phone line. It seemed like he was actually happy to chat with me.

"I'm good, a bit overwhelmed with work, but I'm good." I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. "I was wondering if that invitation to the party on Halloween was still open. If it is, I'd like to go with you."

"_Of course it is! I was hoping you'd change your mind. Can I pick you up?"_ He was talking fast now, obviously excited with my response.

I paused, should I give him my address? "Sure, do you have a pen and paper? I'll give you my address." EE!

"_Give me one minute…"_ I heard rustling on the other end and then the clicking of a pen. _"All right, I'm ready."_

"Okay, I live at 1532 St. Brigit's Road in Islington. Do you know where that is?"

"_Yes, I think I can find it. If I'm not mistaken, I know some people out that way."_ I heard scribbling on the other end of the phone as he wrote down my address. _"Now, the party starts at 8 o'clock, so I'll pick you up around 7 then. The party is out in Godric's Hollow, about a forty-five minute drive from your place I believe."_ He paused and took a minute to get out what he wanted to say. _"How do you feel about motorbikes? It's the only vehicles I own…" _He trailed off, waiting for my response.

I hated motorbikes. They were loud and blew smoke everywhere. But, if I wanted to go to this party, I had no choice but to ride with him. "Well… they're not my most favourite thing, but I suppose I can take a couple rides."

"_Great! So…" _He paused again and I heard him chuckle. _"Can I see you before Friday? Or is that the earliest you're free?"_

"Umm, well I'm actually free tonight, if you wanted to come over. I have some work to do, but you could always keep me company." Did I just invite him to my flat? Surely something must be wrong with my brain. I just agreed to go to a party with strangers and invited a very gorgeous man to my flat. This was so uncharacteristic!

"_I'd love to come over. It will probably take me about twenty minutes to get there, is that all right?"_

"Sure. I'll be here."

"_All right. See you in a bit then. Bye Krista."_

"See you. Bye Sirius." I sighed as I hung up the phone. He would be here in a few minutes. Here; in my flat.

I glanced out into my living room and nearly fainted. It was a disaster. There were police reports, drafts and scrap pieces of paper strewn over the floor and couch.

Hurrying around, I tried to gather the information into neat, organized piles: one for reports, one for my numerous drafts and the other for scrap papers. I cleared my dinner dishes and tried to make them presentable in the sink. After making my living and dining rooms presentable, I glanced down at my clothes. The worn sweats and old tank I had grabbed after work weren't quite nice enough for a visitor. I ran up the stairs and quickly changed into jeans, keeping the tank.

I reached the bottom step as the doorbell rang. Glancing at my watch I couldn't believe the time. It had only been fifteen minutes! Surely it couldn't be Sirius. It had taken me nearly a half hour to get here from his flat!

The person knocked again and I rushed to the door. Peering through the peephole, my breath hitched in my throat. It was him. He had somehow managed to get here in fifteen minutes.

"How in Aslan's name did you manage to get here in fifteen minutes? It's at least a half hour drive!" I exclaimed as I opened the door. I had bombarded him before even letting him enter the flat.

He laughed, keeping his left hand hidden behind his back. "I told you my motorbike flies."

"You're joshing me," I leaned against the doorframe and waited for him to explain. Motorbikes don't fly… at least not in my world.

"Am I?" He asked with a smirk emblazoned across his face. "May I come in? I'm sure your neighbours don't want to see me standing on your doorstep."

"Those old bats don't care one way or the other. This will give them gossip material for a week." I sighed. "Fine, come in." I stepped aside and let him enter.

He held out his left hand in which a bouquet of wildflowers was held. "These are for you."

I gasped at the flowers. "They're beautiful." I was speechless. He bought me flowers. Ian never bought me flowers. I should really stop comparing him to Ian; Sirius blew Ian out of the water.

"Go put them in water," he said holding out the flowers. "May I come in further than the doorway? Or is this as far as I get to go?"

I shook my head, trying to get rid of my thoughts that clouded my mind. "Yes, please come in. You can hang your jacket in that closet behind you." I stepped into the kitchen and pulled a vase from a shelf. Filling it with water, I arranged the flowers and placed them on the windowsill. They were really beautiful; marigolds and sunflowers, lilacs and lilies. Where could he have gotten wildflowers at the end of October?

"Do you want anything to drink? I have tea, water, soda, milk…" I turned to face him and met his eyes. They drew me in, keeping my attention held.

"A glass of water would be fine, thanks." He wandered down the hall as I filled a glass with cool water from the tap.

"Here," I said, handing him the glass. He had stopped halfway down the hall, looking at my pictures that lined the walls. "Is this your family?" He asked, pointing to our family portrait.

"Yes, that's my mother Gail and my father Alan, my older brother Alan Jr. and my younger sister Kate." I pointed to each person, though it was fairly obvious who was who.

"Ah, the middle child." He nodded, as if understanding something I hadn't quite grasped. I nodded and he moved on to the next picture. "Those are some friends from Uni. I haven't talked to them since we left." I must have had a sad look on my face because he bent down and kissed my forehead.

It felt so right, having him here, kissing my forehead. I wasn't sure if I should be feeling this yet, after only a week. He seemed like a wonderful man and I couldn't believe he was interested in me.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters? You don't talk much about yourself." I daringly took his hand and led him to the couch.

He made a face and I was confused. Had I asked something wrong? "Well, I do have a younger brother, but I haven't spoken to him since I moved out almost six years ago."

I did some quick math in my head. He had to be about twenty-one, if not older. That put him moving out at…. "You moved out at sixteen?" I couldn't hide the shock from my face.

He nodded, but didn't say anything. "Can I ask why? Or…"

A sad smile crossed his face. "Sure, you already know the strangest part. I don't agree with my family on a few things. I couldn't take living in the house with them, so I left. It was Christmas Holidays and I just moved out one night, went to live with my best mate. He's the one whose house we're going to Friday."

I nodded, unable to think of anything to say. Moved out at sixteen. I was twenty and had just moved out of my parent's house a year ago. We sat in silence for a few minutes until I picked up one of the drafts of my novel to read through while he stared at the telly.

"What are you reading?" He asked after a few minutes. His eyes peeked over my shoulder, reading a few of my words.

"What do you think you're doing?" I laughed as I tucked the paper under my leg. "You don't get to read that until I've known you at least a year." I grinned as he tried to take the paper out of my grasp. I managed to get the paper away from him and down to the side of the couch against the wall.

His cute lips puckered into a pout as he tried to sneak a hand by me. His eyes gave way to the sad puppy look. "No! Bad puppy." I slapped his hand and he pulled back, laughing.

He laughed at my sad attempt at a joke. We sat again in silence, our eyes focused on the telly.

"Krista," Sirius said after a few more minutes from his seat on my couch. He turned my cheek so my eyes met his and he looked deep into mine. "I've been thinking about this for a few days now. I was told not to ask you like we were kids still in school. But, would you like to make this official?"

I looked into his eyes and he looked terrified. He was scared I would say no. Was I ready for another relationship?

As if reading my mind, he gently kissed my cheek. "I know you're not completely over what's-his-name, but I really like you and I don't want you to disappear. Please?" He looked so sad, so much like a little child.

I nodded. "I think I'd like that. Being official that is." The grin spread across his face and he jumped up from the couch. He took my hands, pulled me up with him and picked me up, spinning me around in circles.

"Sirius! Put me down!" I screamed and he slowed to a stop, gently placing my feet back on the carpet.

He pulled me tightly to his chest and buried his face in my hair. I rested my cheek against his chest, inhaling his scent. "Thank you," he whispered against my hair. I shivered as his breath ruffled my hair. "You don't know how happy this makes me."

I pulled away from him slightly and looked up into his dark, grey eyes. "Do you promise to help me? You're right, I'm probably not ready for this, but I want to be."

"I'll do whatever I can for you. That I promise." He bent down and gently pressed his lips to mine. They felt so soft against mine and I opened my lips slightly, letting his warm tongue run the length of my lips. The kiss deepened and our hands wrapped in each other's hair. His tongue slowly entered my mouth and I pulled on it gently, hearing his sigh.

He pulled away far too soon and kissed my forehead. His eyes glanced at the clock on my mantle and he sighed again. "I should let you get to bed. Someone has to work in the morning."

"Don't you have to work?" I smiled cheekily up at him and he laughed.

"No, I don't actually. Walk me to the door?" He took my hand and we walked slowly to the door. "Now I'm going to be gone for the next two days, but I'll be here at 7 o'clock Friday night and you better be ready. It's a costume party, so come up with something good."

My jaw dropped. "Costume party?" I squeaked. "You didn't say anything about a costume party."

"It's Halloween love. What did you think it was?" He laughed as my brow furrowed in frustration. "Whatever you pick, you'll look beautiful."

I glared at him with what I hoped was a suspicious glare but he just continued laughing. "Sleep tight love." He kissed my forehead and I stood on my toes to kiss his soft lips.

He laughed again as he walked out to his motorbike. I hadn't heard that pull up, had I? Maybe I had been too busy concentrating on making the flat clean. Or maybe it really did fly?

* * *

**AN: Thanks so much to the 6 people who reviewed the last chapter. You all are so awesome! V-BaLLchick12: Yes, I have read Twilight. I tried to model Krista after a mixture of Bella and myself.**

**And if you're thinking this is going a bit too fast, my husband and I were official after 1.5 dates... and he proposed 3 months later. Of course, we were engaged for almost 4 years... but still. Everything will slow down a bit after the next chapter. **

**So please leave a good review on the way out. What did you like? What didn't you like? Thanks a ton!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sirius picked me up that afternoon after work. We had been officially dating for three days now. Everyone at the office already loved him, except Michael. Sirius had stopped in with flowers the day before and all the girls fell in love. Michael sat at his cubicle and glared, which wasn't surprising seeing as his attitude towards me had changed in the past two weeks.

I hadn't gone to work dressed up, so he followed me home to change. Sirius had dressed as, get this, James Bond. Somewhere, he had found a white tuxedo jacket and black tuxedo pants. The outfit was complete with the toy gun and James Bond gadget kit. I had seen it in a toy store, but hadn't paid much attention to it. Something so normal shocked me; I guess I never thought that "wizards" cared much for silly things like James Bond gadgets.

"What are you going to be?" He asked as I unlocked the front door and dropped my purse and keys on to the bookcase.

"You'll find out," I stuck my tongue out at him and ran up the stairs to change.

I hadn't thought much on an outfit, and I was pretty limited in my ideas, since I did have only 3 days notice to come up with something. Thankfully, I had just finished one of my favourite books for the one hundredth time and I got my inspiration from that. I had spent the past two evenings sewing this dress. Hopefully I could use it again someday and I didn't waste two nights sewing for nothing.

With my hair pulled up into a French braid and my make-up casually put on, I slowly walked down the stairs, praying I didn't trip over the hem. When I reached the bottom, I heard Sirius' sharp intake of breath. Did I have something on my face? Was he going to laugh at me? Did I look that stupid?

"You look beautiful," he said when I stepped towards him and I felt my cheeks turn redder than a cherry. He took my hand and kissed the back while bending down into a small bow. "That colour looks beautiful on you. But may I ask one question? Who are you supposed to be? A princess?"

I glanced down at the blue dress. "Why, I'm Queen Susan the Gentle of course. Queen of Narnia." I attempted a curtsey and managed to trip over my feet. Sirius caught me just before I fell over.

"If you keep doing that, I'm going to have to carry you everywhere," he laughed as he watched me fix my hair.

I grabbed my purse and keys and then pushed him out the door to the car. "Let's go before I change my mind. I hate wearing dresses."

Sirius laughed, handed me a helmet, and helped me climb onto the bike. I was terrified. Never before in my life had I ridden on a motorbike. Thankfully, I had remembered to put a pair of pants on underneath the dress so I could hike the bottom up to my waist and sit normal. The entire drive, I thought about how I could get him to turn around and drop me off at home. Surely I wasn't brave enough to go to this party.

When we arrived at the house, my stomach did a flip-flop. I was getting ready to walk into a house full of witches and wizards and I was the only one with no ability whatsoever; I didn't even have the faintest musical ability. Nothing. The butterflies flew 'round and 'round my stomach as we climbed off the bike and he put the helmets away.

My hands shook as he took them in his. "Are you scared?" Sirius asked with his eyes opened wide. I could heard the laughter in his voice as I turned away, pouting. "Why are you scared?"

He put his arm around me as he laughed; leading me through the gate and up the walkway to the front door. When we reached the door, he turned me to face him. Bending down slightly, he looked in my eyes, forcing me to meet his.

"Kris, why are you scared?" I tried to fight back the tears as they welled in my eyes. I avoided his eyes and as long as I didn't look at him, I was fine.

"…" I mumbled and he stared at me.

"Mind repeating that?" His dark grey eyes were twinkling as he looked deep into mine, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"I'm afraid they won't like me," I mumbled again, but this time he heard me.

"Why wouldn't they like you? You're wonderful!" He pulled me close to his chest in a large hug. I inhaled his scent and it calmed me. How awful was I, getting this close to a man I had barely known a week!

"Well, for starters, I'm not like you," I murmured into his chest and he laughed again.

"Like that matters?" He shook his head as he looked down at me. Pulling away, he turned my face up to meet his. "Look, we're the good guys. There are some magical folk that don't like muggles; they think that we shouldn't involve ourselves with them. Some even think that we should rule over everyone, that having magic gives us the power over everyone else."

I stared at him in shock. "There are really people who believe that?" My voice showed my inability to comprehend that fact; it wavered and shook with each word. "People really feel that we're inferior because we don't have magic?"

He nodded and a dark look came over his eyes, forcing him to turn away from me. "I'll explain some other time." After shaking his head, he turned back and his eyes were sparkling once more. "You don't have to worry about them not liking you because of your lack of magic. I like you and that's enough."

His arm wrapped around me again and I forced a smile up at him. The look in my eyes betrayed me and he laughed. "Come on you."

Without even knocking, he opened the door and shouted to the house. "All right everyone; I'm here so the party can begin!"

I felt my face grow warm as my cheeks turned red. He laughed and led me into the back of the house where several people had gathered.

"Sirius you're here!" A tall man with glasses stood up and walked towards us, dressed with his hair slicked back and wearing a dark suit. I felt myself cringe and shy away, but Sirius' arm held my position. The man walked up to us and put his arm around Sirius, hugging him close. I managed to remove myself from his grasp as this happened and I leaned up against the nearest wall.

I glanced around at the small crowd of people that filled up the kitchen. We had Jeannie from _I Dream of Jeannie_, Princess Leia, Paul McCartney, what looked like Elton John, some man in a dark suit and, this I loved, a witch and the witch held a baby dressed like a pumpkin. I didn't look too out-of-place, which had worried me immensely.

"Of course James, you couldn't hear him when he walked in the door? He sounds like a herd of elephants walking through trumpeting their entrance!" A small, red-haired witch laughed as she put the pumpkin into a carrier.

The men laughed and when Sirius and the tall man pulled away, he realised I wasn't next to him. He laughed a bark-like laugh and moved to take my hand. "Everyone, this is Krista. Krista, this is James (the suited man), Lily (the witch), Remus (Paul McCartney), Peter (Elton John), Dorcas (Jeannie), and Marlene (Princess Leia)." He pointed to each person as he said their names. "And this," he said walking over to a baby giggling in a carrier on a chair. "This is Harry, my godson." He grinned at the pumpkin and I felt myself smiling at the scene.

The red-haired woman, Lily, walked up to me and held out her hand. "It's so nice to meet you! Sirius has been telling us all about you." I flashed a look at Sirius and everyone laughed. "No, don't worry. It's all good."

After she shook my hand, she pulled me in for a hug. I must have had a shocked look on my face because everyone burst out laughing again. I gently hugged her back and made my escape to Sirius' side as soon as I could. I felt like such a child keeping close to their parent in a crowd of adults. It was so awkward, not knowing what they were talking about and knowing they were watching what they said around me because I wasn't of their world.

It was a small party, only a few of their friends. Lily roamed around, making sure everyone had enough to drink, that there were enough cookies and cakes on the tray, that everyone was having a good time.

After practically hanging on to Sirius for most of the night, I finally retreated to a corner and observed. I found myself taking notes on each person, being a typical journalist. My eyes roamed the room, hitting on each person. Why did that man have so many scars; what happened to him? Why was the short, portly man so shy; did he know something that he wasn't sharing? Why did that shorter blond woman keep looking at the scarred man; was she flirting?

My braid had come partially undone due to the motorbike ride, so I reached up and began unwinding the intricate braid. The loose hair fell awkwardly over my shoulders, hiding my face from view. I must have looked sullen, sitting in the corner because the man with a scar on his face came up to talk to me. "Why are you sitting here alone?" His voice was soft and kind, a harsh contrast to the scars on his face.

"I'm not really sure," I said softly. "I guess I just don't feel like I fit in." My cheeks turned red and I turned away from him, avoiding his bright hazel eyes.

When I snuck a glance back, he was smiling. "I'm Remus," he said, holding out his hand. "I know Sirius pointed everyone out rather quickly and I'm sure you don't remember everyone's name."

I shook it, already feeling a bit more comfortable with the room now. "Are you supposed to be Paul McCartney? From the Sgt. Pepper's album?"

"Yes. I'm glad you figured it out. James looked at me like I escaped from the circus." I laughed and sat back in the chair. "So what do you do? Sirius hasn't mentioned it."

My smile grew across my face. "Honestly, I don't even think Sirius really knows what I do. I'm a journalist and a writer. I actually just got a promotion at the newspaper where I work. I'm now covering the story on the mysterious deaths all across England. The journalist who had the story has had a rough year, we can't figure out what's wrong with him. It's like he's forgotten everything he was doing." I shrugged. "I feel bad for him, but I'm glad I have the opportunity to take his place. It's a great story."

I felt myself relaxing in this man's presence. He had a calming spirit; except when I looked over at him this time, he was anything but calm. His brow was furrowed and he looked deep in thought. "Did I say something wrong?" I asked tentatively, trying to figure out what I did wrong already.

"No, no," he said quickly. "You haven't done anything." He gazed off into space for a moment then hastily turned his attention back to me. "And you don't know what's happened to him? The other journalist?"

I shook my head. "No, he was fine one day, a bit nervous maybe, but fine. He disappeared for a few days and then came back a completely different person. The editor of the paper was at a loss."

"Have you told Sirius this?" He looked at me with a grave expression and I was confused. What did it matter if Sirius knew?

"I didn't see where he would really care. He wasn't very interested when I talked about what I did."

Remus laughed, changing the tone of the conversation slightly. "Yes, Sirius does have that ability to listen, but not."

We lapsed into silence and I thought over our conversation. Why would he want me to tell Sirius? It wasn't a big deal.

"Why are you hiding in the corner all alone?" Sirius came up and sat in the chair across from me.

"She isn't alone," my new friend said with a smile. "I'm sitting right here."

"So you are," Sirius said with a grin. He stood and took my hand. "Come on, I want you to officially meet my godson."

I looked back at Remus, making sure he'd be okay sitting alone. When he nodded I smiled. "Go ahead, indulge him a bit. Between him, James and Lily, that baby is one of the most spoiled in England."

Sirius practically dragged me across the room to where the baby was still giggling in the carrier. The baby had brilliant green eyes and a mop of dark black hair on his head. Sirius bent down and picked up the baby, Harry I think, and rocked him gently in his arms. He cooed softly and the child giggled again and reached his chubby fingers out for Sirius' nose.

"Do you want to hold him?" He asked softly, lost in the green eyes.

I shook my head, not fond of babies. "No thank you." I sat in a nearby chair and watched the interaction between the two. "He's a really cute baby. How old is he?"

"Three months today actually. It's one of the reasons we're having a party, well, aside from the fact that it's Halloween." He flashed me the grin I liked so much and turned back to the baby.

"So you're the girl from the pub huh?" Someone asked from behind me. I saw Sirius' grin as I turned around and was met with the tall man from earlier, the baby's father.

"That's me, the pub girl" I said softly, unsure of what else to say.

He ruffled my hair and grinned. "You're all right. I hope we keep you for a while."

Sirius grinned again. "Krista this is James, my best mate and Harry's father."

"Hi," I said, still talking softly. I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was dressed as, but I hadn't a clue. "I'm sorry for being rude, but what are you supposed to be dressed as?"

James stared at me, as if I was touched in the head. Did I miss something? "I'm the Godfather. Haven't you seen the movie? I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse," he laughed at his own poor imitation of an Italian accent.

Sirius shook his head and handed the baby off to his father. "Really James." He took my hand and sat down in a chair, pulling me onto his lap.

I shook my head and tried to get up. It was bad enough I was in this uncomfortable situation, but now I was in an uncomfortable position. Sitting on a gentlemen's lap was not good when one was in polite company. "No, you're staying right here," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me.

Leaning back into his chest, I smiled. It was actually nice, sitting here like this with all the people bustling around. I hadn't been around this many people, except for work, in a long time.

James and Lily flirted continuously, Marlene joked with Remus and Dorcas and Peter sat in the corner, watching the interaction, but not participating. I laughed along with everyone as Dorcas practiced her nose wiggle and tried to cast a spell that way. Eventually, Sirius pulled out his wand and as she wiggled her nose, he made the cup in front of her disappear. She looked around excitedly, thinking she actually vanished the cup. Eventually, Marlene was unable to keep her straight face and ratted Sirius out.

It was long past midnight when Sirius shook my arm and whispered that we should probably leave. Harry had been brought up to bed hours before and the party was slowly winding down. Peter left first, saying he had a long journey home. Remus followed shortly after with Dorcas' hand in his.

"Thank you so much for inviting me. I haven't had this much fun in a long while," I held out a hand to James thinking he would shake it, but he pulled me in for a tight hug.

"Thank you for coming," he said as he led me slightly away from the group. "I'm going to warn you about Sirius. No, nothing bad," he added after seeing the surprised look in my face. "He gets quite attached to people, so don't be surprised if he's around you constantly. He is my best mate though and you seem like a decent enough muggle. You should be able to handle it." He laughed and brought me back to Sirius.

Lily and Marlene hugged me and then I took hold of Sirius' hand. "I'll pop in tomorrow," Sirius told James as we walked out the door. "Have a nice night!"

Sirius handed me the helmet, helped me fasten it, and then held the bike while I climbed on. It was an uneventful ride home and it passed by quickly. I didn't even realise we were back at my flat until Sirius turned off the bike and carried me into the house.

"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I don't do well staying up late." He laughed as he laid me out on my bed, pulling the covers over me. "Mmm, stay please." I murmured softly.

"You really don't mean that," he took the crown off my head and laid it on the bedside table.

"Yes I do," I said, rolling over onto my side to face him and pulling the covers up to my chin. "Please? It's too late for you to be driving."

He laughed again. "Fine, but I'll sleep on the couch." When he bent down to kiss my cheek, I grabbed his hand.

"No," I gestured towards the other half of my queen-sized bed. "Please."

I heard him sigh and unlace his shoes. The bed sank slightly as he lay down. "Fine," he whispered in my ear. "But I'm sleeping over the sheets and under the quilt."

The sheets were cool and I snuggled deeper into them. Sirius turned over and he wrapped his arm around my upper body. I snuggled close to him and soon fell asleep, unaware of anything going on around me.

* * *

**AN: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! I hope this is up to everyone's standards for a "meeting" chapter. I think I managed to get everyone's characters to act the correct way.**

**Well, you know what to do! **

**OH! BTW: I'll be putting links to Sirius and Krista's costumes in my profile. Thanks again!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Elizabeth," I called down the hallway. Do you have the police reports on the newest victims? They were supposed to be on my desk an hour ago but they're not here yet!" I lightly banged my head down on my desk and sighed. There was no rest today. We had six new victims whose names hadn't been released yet. It was an entire family this time, everyone ranging from the youngest at 10 to the eldest at 43.

"Here Krista, I had them. Mr. Campbell asked me to bring them to you earlier, but I've been doing so many things…" Elizabeth trailed off. The poor girl. She wasn't much younger than me, a couple months to a year maybe.

"It's all right. I'm just running on a tight deadline and I don't know what to do with this information. Nothing makes any sense." I picked up my pencil only to drop it again on the police reports Elizabeth had just brought.

She shifted from foot to foot, obviously uncomfortable. "Thanks Liz. Can you do me one favour?" When she nodded I continued. "When I get like this, just ignore me. I'm so stressed out it isn't even funny any more."

I saw a smile creep across her face and she chuckled. "Yes Krista. I'll keep that in mind. Do you need anything else?"

"No, I think I'm good. Thanks." She left and I pulled the files on top of the ones I already had. I picked up the first one, noting the cause of death. The coroner must be having a joke; the cause of death was "Frightened to Death."

I sighed and picked up the next, same thing. It was the same with the next four reports as well. How could someone be frightened to death? Was that even possible?

I grabbed my pencil and a scrap piece of paper and commenced writing the names of the victims down.

Father: Joseph McKinnon

Mother: Elizabeth McKinnon

Eldest child: James McKinnon

Second child: Marlene McKinnon

Youngest child: Emily McKinnon

My article began forming in my mind and I could see the title clearly:

_Local Community Saddened By Loss of Family_

_Early on the morning of 3 November 1980, a young family joined the surmounting number of victims. These victims were, for lack of a better term, __"Frightened to Death," said coroner John Lockwood._

_There is no apparent connection between these deaths and those previous, but investigators are still looking. "The McKinnons were a close-knit family," said one neighbour who refused to be named. "They were quiet, and the children were always playing in the front yard."_

_The obituaries are printed on page 7 of the local section along with photos. Donations may be made in honour of the family to the charity of your choice._

I stared down at my typewriter, unable to write any more. The summary would have to be enough for Campbell to read at the moment. I'd have the rest for him before I left. I grabbed my newly typed summary and raced down the hallway to Mr. Campbell's office. He wasn't in; it was lunchtime after all, so I dropped it in the box outside his office.

My walk back to my desk was slower as my mind ran through possibilities for the rest of the article. Was there some connection no one was seeing? The deaths seem so random… but that many deaths couldn't be random, could they?

"Have you eaten yet?" Asked an amused voice from my desk chair. "I certainly hope not because I brought you food."

"Sirius! No I haven't eaten, but I have a lot of work to do. My article is due tomorrow and it's not done yet!" I tried to pull him from my chair but he wouldn't budge. "Can't you come visit me later? After I've finished for the day?"

His face fell. "I thought I'd surprise you. But…" He gathered the lunch he had brought and made his way from out behind the desk.

"Don't listen to her," called a voice from the next cubicle. "She's in a prissy mood and doesn't know what she's saying. Force her to eat!" The voice laughed and I glared at the partition.

"Elizabeth, don't but in," I called back but she was laughing.

Sirius grinned and sat back down at my desk. "I think I'll follow her suggestion. Come on, you can take thirty minutes to eat some lunch, can't you? Look, I even cooked it myself. You know how much you love my cooking." He pulled a container from the bag and handed it to me with a napkin and fork. "Now eat."

"You cook? Seriously cook? Not just order take-out?" Elizabeth poked her head in with a look of surprise on her face.

"Yes, I do cook. I cooked for Krista on our first date." He sat back in my chair with a pleasant smile.

"You can't call that a date! I went to your flat after the pub. That isn't quite a date Sirius." I shook my finger at him and then picked up my container of food, lifting a forkful into my mouth. He was a wonderful cook, I just wouldn't admit it to his face.

"Doesn't matter, I'm calling it one." He maturely stuck his tongue out at me then took a forkful of food into his mouth.

Elizabeth laughed as she vacated my cubicle for her own. Sirius and I sat eating our lunch in near silence. The only sound was the heating unit kicking in. I glanced out the window and saw that the rain had started up again. That was the one thing I despised about living in London, the rain. Since November had started three days ago, it hadn't stopped raining for more than an hour.

"So what article are you working on now?" Sirius asked as he began packing up the remnants of our lunch.

I sighed, my good mood gone down the drain with the rain. "There were five more deaths last night. I'm trying to find a connection between them and the dozen or so before. It's nearly impossible. Everyone is different sexes, races, ages… all the murders appear totally and completely random." I stood up and helped him put away the containers.

"I'm sorry," he said with a kiss on my cheek. "Is there anything I can do?"

Shaking my head I tried to smile up at him. "No. Well, you could be at my flat tonight to help me relax." I wiggled my eyebrows and he laughed.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to seduce me," he whispered in my ear on his way to the door. "I'll be there around seven." He kissed me softly then left, leaving me to return to my thoughts.

I stared at my typewriter again, willing the article to come out. After about another two hours, I had my finished article and I walked down the long hallway to deliver it to Mr. Campbell who would preview it before sending it to the editor.

My boss wasn't in his office, so I left it in his box outside the door. I returned to my desk and began packing up for the day. I needed to get out of the office. After staring at the typewriter all day, I began to feel cross-eyed. Hopefully Sirius would be able to take my mind off all this death and disaster.

I drove home slowly, trying to avoid the growing puddles in the roadways. It was foggy and my windows wouldn't clear for more than a few minutes. My tires ploughed through the puddles and small streams that had formed over the roadways.

When I reached my flat, I ran for the door. The rain was cold and just as I reached the door, it started to downpour. I shook out my hair as the door slammed behind me. I needed a hot shower to warm myself; the cold had seeped into my bones and had me chilled from the inside.

I had a little over two hours until Sirius was due to come by so I made the most of it. My shower lasted nearly thirty minutes and when I got out, I was as wrinkled as a prune. My purple fuzzy bathrobe was draped over the sink, so I wrapped my hair in a towel and pulled the bathrobe around me.

It was still down pouring as I made my way down the stairs to the kitchen. After glancing at the clock, I still had an hour to wait for Sirius. I quietly made a cup of tea and sat down on the sofa with the newest pages from my makeshift novel.

My arms stretched over my head what seemed like only twenty minutes later. My eyes flickered to the clock and I realized it was nearly eleven p.m.

"Where's Sirius?" I asked aloud, glancing around the room.

I shrugged and made my way up the stairs and crawled into bed. What happened? Why didn't he come by to visit me? I chalked it up to him being dragged off for his mysterious job. Was it odd I still didn't know exactly what he did for a living?

* * *

**AN: Sorry this was such a short chapter. I knew what I wanted to write, but I couldn't get it to come out. The next one will be MUCH better, that I promise.  
****As of right now, this story will have about 26 chapters... but I keep adding more details, so it gets longer and longer.  
****So thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter! You are all awesome!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I had spent the day pouring over manuscripts, police reports and my own notes. No more deaths had been reported, but it was only a matter of time. Mr. Campbell had loved my article and was now prodding me for another one just as good as the last. What had I gotten myself into?

Sirius had yet to call me and apologize for not showing up the night before. I hadn't heard from him at all since the previous afternoon and I couldn't help but wonder if everything was all right. My mother was always the worrier; maybe I had finally taken after her. That thought made me shudder and I laughed to break the tension.

The police reports were scattered across the floor and I had to pick them up before retiring for the night. I shifted them into separate piles based on which month the murder was committed and placed them in my briefcase.

A sudden pop outside made me jump and scatter the file in my hands all over the floor again. Racing to the window, I tried to find what had made the noise; had a car backfired; did someone have firecrackers? Colourful lights in the sky caught my eye as my brain remembered what today was. "Bonfire Night," I said aloud. How could I have forgotten it was Bonfire Night?

I was impressed, whoever it was, was lighting off fireworks in the rain, not a very bright idea in my opinion. A few minutes later, the fireworks burned down to a close and I walked away from the window. The rain was still pouring down and I sighed, a bit depressed by the weather.

After finishing my cleaning job, I moved to shut the light off and climb the stairs to bed. It was nearly ten and way past my bedtime. I was halfway up the stairs when I heard a knock on the door. I spun and nearly fell down the stairs.

"Who is here at this hour?" I asked as I walked back down the steps to the door. I peered through the peephole and smiled as I recognised the face.

"Sirius, what's the matter?" I asked after opening the front door. He stood on my doorstep in the pouring rain without an umbrella or raincoat. When he didn't answer, I got worried. "Sirius?" My voice cracked. "What happened?"

I took his arm and pulled him inside. He stood on my mat, dripping wet as I ran for a warm towel. When I returned, he was in the same spot, staring at the pool of water than had formed around his feet. I wrapped the towel around his shoulders and rubbed his arms, trying to warm his skin. He wasn't dressed in anything but jeans and a tee shirt and I began to worry he might catch pneumonia. I certainly was worrying an awful lot tonight.

"Can you tell me what's wrong? Please? You're upsetting me." I tried to lead him into the living room, but he wouldn't move. So we stood there, both watching the water drip off his curls and onto my floor.

"Marlene's dead. They killed her. They weren't supposed to… she was supposed to be safe!" He started babbling randomly. Over and over again he said she was supposed to be safe, that they weren't supposed to hurt her.

"Marlene?" I asked, my mind trying to figure out where I had heard that name before. "Marlene. Wasn't she at the party?" He nodded and my mind hit on the next spot I had seen that name. "She was murdered, wasn't she?"

He nodded again. "Her entire family. Her parents, older brother and younger sister. They're all gone. She wasn't supposed to be hurt!" I cried out as he collapsed to the floor, not moving.

"What do you mean? She wasn't supposed to be hurt how? What happened?" I grabbed his shoulders and shook him, trying to force him to meet my eyes. "Tell me!"

He sighed through his tears and I couldn't figure out what happened. I had no idea what to do for him. "She… she was one of my good friends. I've known her since we were in school. She wasn't supposed to get hurt. She was home, with her family! They weren't supposed to hurt her!" His head dropped to his knees and he sobbed loudly.

"Who wasn't supposed to hurt her?" I managed to whisper. My hand held his tightly, trying to comfort him what little I could. I didn't know what I could do, but I tried.

"The Death Eaters." I stared at him, confused and he noticed, because he tried to clear it up for me. "I keep forgetting you don't know anything about this. They're the 'bad guys'," He put the last two words in quotes and I looked at him with a puzzled look which caused him to chuckle.

"Do you know how James and I are always leaving? How we vanish without much notice, last night for instance?" I nodded and he continued. "We're in a 'group' to defeat the bad guys, the Death Eaters."

I stared at him, my jaw opened. "You mean you… fight? You could be killed?" My voice shook as I was now terrified. "These Death Eaters… they're the ones who don't like muggles right? The ones who don't like people like me?" My voice rose now, peaking with a shriek like noise. I was terrified. People wanted to hurt me because I didn't have a magical ability.

He nodded. "Remember I promised to keep you safe." He looked so pathetic, crying on my entryway floor.

"Well apparently Marlene was supposed to be kept safe too." He stared at me as if I had just slapped him. It was wrong to throw that at him. I didn't know the circumstances.

"I tried," he whispered, the tears falling silently down his cheeks. "I tried to keep her safe, but I can't do everything. I realise that now." His head fell to his knees as his shoulders shook with sobs.

I didn't know what to do. What could I do? I knew nothing of this world of his. I didn't know what… I just didn't know.

He shrugged the towel off his shoulders and moved to stand. "I should get home," he sniffled. "James'll be wondering where I've gone off to."

The towel was held out for me to take and I stared at it, unable to move. "I'm sorry I wasn't here last night. We got called away on a mission just as I was getting ready to come see you. This might be more difficult than I imagine. I understand if you don't want to be involved with me anymore. I'll be going now." The words were mumbled and it took me a moment to realise exactly what he had said. Without looking at me, he tossed the towel on the steps and walked out the door without a word. My eyes followed him until he disappeared in front of my eyes.

I stared at his disappeared form as the tears welled in my eyes. What had just happened? Did I just get dumped?

The phone rang and I jumped. I didn't want to answer it; it was most likely my mother, calling to check up on me. She had invited us for dinner at the end of the month so I could introduce Sirius to the family. Poor guy, at the time I didn't want to punish him that way, but now…

"Hullo," I said after picking up the handset.

"Krista? Is this Krista Thomas?" A male voice on the other end sounded frantic.

"Who is this?" The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't be sure.

"This is James. James Potter, Sirius' best mate. Have you seen him? I can't find him anywhere. I haven't seen him since last night." That's where I recognized the voice, the Halloween Party.

"He just left. I don't know where he went. Wait, how did you get my number?" The last question just flew out of my mouth. Had he looked it up in the directory?

"Sirius gave it to me. What do you mean; you don't know where he went? He didn't say?" I could hear the anxiousness in his voice through the phone lines.

"I think he broke up with me," I whispered, afraid that it might be true.

"What? That's it, either Lily or I are coming over to talk to you. Stay where you are… one of us will be right there." He hung up the phone without as much as a word of goodbye. I stared at the phone for another minute before placing it back in the receiver.

What couldn't have been more than thirty seconds after that, the doorbell rang. I peered through the peephole and saw James' worried face. The bell rang again and I pulled open the door, prepared for the worst.

"What do you mean, you think he broke up with you?" He asked as soon as he caught sight of my face.

I stepped aside to let him come in from the rain and dry off. After glancing out to the parking lot, I didn't see any unfamiliar cars. How did he get here?

"I came here upset, said that they got her. I finally got him to tell me what he was talking about and he eventually stood up and told me that he understood if I didn't want to be involved with him anymore. Then he left." I kept my eyes on the ground, my mind already reliving those awful moments.

"Krista, don't take him seriously. He's had a rough two days." James sat on one of my bar stools and dropped his head to his hands.

I leaned against the kitchen counter, my hands clasped against my stomach. "Would you like something to drink?" I needed something to do other than just stand there staring at my bare walls.

"Water would be great." He lifted his head up and met my eyes. The hazel colour was so dull and tired, completely different from when I had seen him the weekend before. "You don't know much about us, do you?"

I shook my head as I placed the water glass in front of him. "No," I said softly. "I only know what Sirius thinks to mention."

James nodded now and smiled a sad smile. "You know that you're not supposed to know about us, right? You know that it breaks this 'unspoken' oath we have about keeping things a secret. Technically, someone from the Ministry could come in here and obliviated you, which means they would clear your memory of everything to do with us."

My jaw dropped. "Erase my memory?" What? Huh? I wasn't able to make a coherent thought. Erase?

"Don't worry," he said with a smile. "We won't let them. You're too much fun. It's nice to have a muggle around to joke with." Almost immediately, the smile vanished from his face. "Like I said, don't worry about Sirius. He'll come around tomorrow and apologize. He likes you too much to let you go right now."

I tried to force a smile, but he saw right through. "Will you be all right tonight? Or should I find someone to stay with you."

"I'll be fine," I said, my voice wavering. He gave me a look that said everything, _don't lie._ "I promise. I'll be fine."

"You better not lie to me," he said, wagging his finger at me. "Lily will stop by tomorrow and make sure you're all right. I have to be at work all day. There have been too many unexplained deaths…"

"What do you mean?" I asked boldly.

His head shot up and he stared at me. "You're a journalist aren't you? Moony said something about that."

"Who's Moony? Yes, I'm a journalist, why?"

"You can't do anything about this Krista. Don't write about this story anymore. You can only get hurt if you stay on this subject." He moved to stand in front of me and lightly grabbed my shoulders. "You'll get hurt if you keep writing about these deaths."

"Hurt how? What do you mean? Why won't anyone tell me what is going on?"

"Look, I don't feel right telling you about all this. That's Sirius' thing." James dropped his hands from my shoulders and turned away.

"But what if he doesn't come back? Then what?" I couldn't keep the fear from my voice, and the sound of it made James turn back to me.

"Then I'll tell you and Lily and I will keep you safe. But it doesn't matter; Sirius will be back here tomorrow. I know him." He hugged me tightly and then released me. "Stay safe tonight. If you need me… well I'll right our phone number down for you." He grabbed a pen and paper off the counter and wrote down some numbers. "I hate the bloody thing, but Lily just had to have one so she can call her parents. She's muggleborn you know."

He laughed at my confused look. "Her parents are muggles, like you. We can't find any magical blood in her family other than hers. But I still love her." He laughed again. "Stay safe," he said again as he made his way to the door.

"How did you get here?" I asked after he had walked outside.

"You'll see," he said with a wave and then was gone. He disappeared, just like Sirius had only an hour before.

I shook my head and shut the door. I clicked the lock over and leaned against it. Stay safe. How was I supposed to stay safe against something I knew nothing about? Would Sirius actually come back tomorrow with an apology and an explanation?

After crawling into bed, I pulled the covers up over my head, hiding myself beneath them. I barely slept a wink that night and when the sun rose the next morning, I remained cowered beneath the covers.

* * *

**AN: So, what did you think? Does it fit in with the plot line so far? I've tried to make insinuations towards Sirius "being evil"... have you picked up on them? Anywho...  
Updates may be a bit slow from now on, we started school today and my students are hyper! I've only had 4 out of my 11 classes so we'll see how the rest of the week goes!**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review on your way out!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Sarah, I won't be able to come into work today. I have an awful headache and feel sick to my stomach. Could you tell Mr. Campbell for me? Thanks. I'll try to be in tomorrow." I hung up the phone and laid my head back on the pillow. I couldn't go in to work today, not with all new information that was swirling around my head. As if to recap everything, my brain ran through all the events of the previous night:

Marlene McKinnon was friends with Sirius, which I should have remembered from the Halloween party. She was murdered by these "Death Eaters" Sirius had mentioned. If I kept researching this, I would get my memory erased by the Ministry. Would they erase everything or would it only be the magical information I had acquired. Would I still remember my parents, my job?

Sirius had broken up with me. According to James, I shouldn't take him seriously and Sirius would be back here today to apologise. Even if Sirius didn't want to be with me anymore, James and Lily would keep me safe. But how? How could they keep me safe from their government?

This was a lot to handle. How was I supposed to deal with this? I wasn't used to coping with this much information, was I ready for this?

After lying in bed for another hour, I finally decided to get up. I wasn't doing myself any good sitting in bed all day long, even if I was supposed to be sick. After quickly showering, changed into my favourite pair of jeans and an old tee shirt and made my way down the stairs.

I spent the morning lying around on the couch watching the telly and trying to make myself relax. I didn't know what to do about this situation. This was one reason I didn't want to get into a relationship so soon after Ian; I couldn't take the heartbreak. Sirius and I had only been "seeing each other" for two weeks now and I was already this involved with him. Anyone could see that this wouldn't end well.

Who do I believe? James, whom I've known not even a week? Or Sirius, the man I had been dating for two weeks?

"Stop dwelling on it Krista. You're only making yourself more depressed," I scolded myself as my thoughts wandered towards that topic yet again.

It was well after noon when the doorbell rang. I glared at the door for a few seconds, willing the visitor to leave. I wasn't in the mood to entertain someone right now.

It ran again and I slowly got up off the chair. I peered through the peephole to see who was ringing the bell and my heart stopped. It was him.

I unlocked the deadbolt and slowly opened the door. He stood there, on my front steps, staring at me. "What do you want?" I asked softly, trying my hardest not to be rude. My hands shook, whether from the cold air flowing through the door or from nerves, I wasn't sure.

"Krista, can I come in?" He met my eyes, the sadness evident in his. "Please?"

I nodded then stepped aside, letting him wipe his feet on the mat then come in from the rain. He stood in the vestibule, his eyes fixed on the floor. I was reminded of the last time he had stood in that spot, the rain falling down. Could that have only been last night when he was crying at my door?

"Do you want something to drink? I was just going to make a cup of tea…" I trailed off, not sure of exactly why he was here, or how to behave around him.

"No, thank you." He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

I caught sight of his dark grey eyes and almost smiled, catching myself before it came over my mouth. "I called out, said I wasn't feeling well. There is too much on my mind right now to deal with that place." I shifted my weight from foot to foot in the awkward silence.

"Can we sit down?" It was all he said, but I just had this feeling. He was coming to break up with me for real. I would never see him again after this.

I nodded and led him into the living room where he sat on the couch. As we sat down, I tried to memorize his facial features: the way his hair fell into his face, the way his eyes shimmered in the light.

"Krista," he started as he ran a hand through his hair. I noticed he did this when he was nervous. "Krista,' he said again, "I'm sorry. I was… not well last night. I don't know what came over me."

What? This was an odd way to break up with me. "What do you mean?"

He sat forward towards me and took my hands in his. "I didn't mean what I said. I don't want you to not be involved with me. I need you; I need your naiveté on the subject. I need to have you, the one person in my life who isn't acquainted with the magical world. Please don't leave me."

"I thought you were leaving me," I whispered and I wasn't sure he had heard me.

"Why would I leave you?" He stared at me, blatantly confused. His head was cocked to the right side and his brow furrowed.

"You said that this might be more difficult than you thought and you understood if I didn't want to be involved with you any more. Why would you say that if you weren't leaving me?" I pulled my hands back and stared at him. "Why would you say that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he said softly, his dark grey eyes avoiding mine.

"What do you mean, you don't know? Sirius, why would you say things like that unless you mean them?" I leaned back against the couch and crossed my arms, determined not to give in. I had been awake almost all night worrying about him, me and us. And now he just acts like it wasn't that big of a deal?

Sirius sighed. "Marlene was one of my good friends in school. She didn't want to join up with us, but James, Lily and I convinced her to. We said she'd be safe, that we'd protect her. I tried Krista, I really did. I did everything I could..." he looked up and met my eyes, the tears blurring his eyes.

I didn't know what to say. How could I respond to that? "I'm sorry," I whispered, feeling completely embarrassed by everything. Here I was, worried about us and his friend had just died.

He wiped his eyes and forced a smile. "It's okay. You have no idea what's going on with this, so don't feel bad."

"Sirius, what's going on with us? With this," I paused, "relationship?" My eyes dropped to my hands clasped in my lap.

He moved to sit next to me and took my hands in his. "I like having you around. You make me happy and I need that right now. I need all the happiness I can get." He laughed softly and squeezed my hands tightly. "So I hear James came by last night to talk to you about me."

I nodded. "He rang first…"

"Phoned? James used the fellytone?" His jaw dropped and I couldn't help but laugh.

"The telephone you mean? Yes, why?" Why is it so funny that James used the telephone?

"Only Lily uses that thing, and then only to call her parents. I didn't even know James knew how to ring someone." His smile was making my heart melt again. "You can continue with your story." He smiled again and I smiled back, happy we were back to normal, or, at least as normal as we could get.

"Well, he rang first and then, some how, got over here quickly. He wanted to know what you had said to me before you left and then said how you'd had a rough couple days. He also said I shouldn't take what you said seriously; that you'd be by today to explain everything." I avoided meeting his eyes. Again, not quite sure why, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

"Well, he was right," Sirius said softly. "I am here to explain. And I hope you forgive me for how I acted last night. I didn't mean to worry you." He tilted my chin up with his finger and leaned in to gently kiss my lips. They brushed softly together and I closed my eyes in bliss.

"Sirius?" I asked once we had separated. When he nodded I started again. "James mentioned something about my not being supposed to know about the magical world. He said that if someone found out, they could come in and have my memory erased. Is that true?"

Sirius sighed, his turn to avoid my eyes. "Yes," he said softly. "If the Ministry finds out, they could come in and obliviate you." He looked up at me, and his eyes were dark. "But I won't let them. I'll do whatever I could to keep you safe." The colour in his eyes frightened me. I hadn't seen them that dark and cold before.

Unknowingly, I flinched and moved back towards the armrest. "Are you all right?" He asked, silently debating to move closer to me, or leave me as I was.

I nodded. "What could you do? Isn't the Ministry the government? How could you go against the government?"

"There are a couple options," he said with a smile. His eyes had returned to their natural grey and they sparkled like normal. "But we'll discuss that if and when the time comes." He rose from the couch and I stood up with him. "I need to get going. I'm supposed to check in at the office around three and it's getting close. I'll stop by either tomorrow or the next day. Call Lily if you need me, she knows how to reach me if you can't."

I walked him to the door and opened it, leaning against the frame. He bent down and kissed each cheek then my lips. My arms wrapped around his neck as he kissed me and as pathetic as it sounds, I was happy to be kissing him.

"I'll talk to you soon. Stay safe," he whispered in my ear before walking out the door. I waved as he climbed onto his motorbike and raced off down the road. That conversation raised more questions than it answered.

* * *

**AN: So, what do you think? This is not my favourite chapter... I don't think I captured what I wanted to. And I definitely needed a bit more detail and discussion on Marlene's death... don't you think?**

**Please leave a review and let me know!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

My fresh white paper was carefully loaded in the typewriter. It was blank, brand new paper. There had been no more murders lately, at least not in my area, and I was out of material. Marlene McKinnon and her family were the last murders, and that had happened almost two weeks ago.

What could have happened to stop these awful murders? Not that I was complaining, it meant that people weren't dying randomly. But I still couldn't help but wonder. Who was committing these murders? Was it all related to the magical world? Marlene was a witch, were the rest of the victims?

Did Sirius know any of the other victims? Did he know Gideon and Fabian Prewett? Did he know Adam and Jessica Marsh and their four children? Was everything in this story involved with the magical world? Could it be?

Wait! Christopher had this story before me… did he find this out? He must have! Before he went weird, he was nervous, much more nervous than he usually was. He must have found out this wasn't a normal murder spree. Maybe they erased his memory!

"Krista?" Elizabeth and Michael came around the corner into my cubicle.

"Yes?" I looked up from my typewriter and smiled. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you have any new leads?" Michael leaned against my desk and smiled.

I shook my head. "No, nothing yet. I don't know what I'm going to do. I think I have an idea, but…" I trailed off, leaning my head into my hands.

"It's okay Krista," Elizabeth said patting her hand on my shoulder. "You'll find something, you just need to look. We were wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with us. We're heading down to the café across the road."

I sighed. "Thank you, but Sirius is supposed to be bringing me lunch. Apparently he cooked again."

Elizabeth grimaced. "You have no idea how lucky you are, a man that actually cooks! I though they were all a myth!" She laughed and Michael glared.

"Well, we'll leave you to your story and lunch." He took Elizabeth's arm and gently pulled her away from my desk. What was his problem today?

I managed to get a basic draft down for my next article by the time Sirius showed up with lunch. I cleared my desk and he set the basket of food down.

"Having a productive day?" He asked as he pulled the food out of the basket.

My head shook back and forth. "I've hit a roadblock. There haven't been any more murders and I can't figure out the connection between the ones that have already happened. I mean, I have an idea…" I trailed off, not knowing what his reaction will be.

He nodded. "What's your idea?" He paused. "Wait, what story are you working on again?"

"I'm the lead reporter on the murders that have plagued the city for months now. Remember? I mentioned it a few weeks ago." I smiled, knowing he didn't remember. Like Remus Lupin had told me, it seems Sirius did have this uncanny ability to listen, but not hear.

"That's right," he said, and his body stiffened. "So what was your idea?" Sirius sat in the chair next to my desk and watched me.

"Well…" I paused, unsure of how to continue. "I think that the whole thing is well…" My voice lowered, "magic related."

Sirius stopped with his glass halfway to his mouth. "Have you told anyone this idea? Krista, have you?" He sat straight in the chair. "Krista?"

I stared at him, confused as to why he was acting this way. "The only person I've told was you, just now. The article hasn't been…"

He stood quickly and knelt in front of me. "You can't tell anyone Krista. They'll hurt you. I can try to stop them, but they'll hurt you. You can't write about this. Find something else to write about. Please?" He took my hand and held it tightly, running his fingers across my palm.

"I… I won't. I promise. What do you mean they'll hurt me?" I said with my eyes wide with fear.

"Remember James told you they'd erase your memory? They'll do that… if you write that story. I don't think I can keep you safe if you continue writing this article. Can't you find someone else to take over?" Sirius' eyes pleaded with me.

I shook my head. "No. This is the story of my career. I cannot give this up now! I need a job… I need this job." Was he really asking me to give up the story of a lifetime?

Sirius sighed. "Will you at least try to not delve into the magical aspect?" With the last two words, his voice dropped to a low level that only I could hear.

I nodded. "I'll try. But if that's where it goes, how can I avoid it?"

"I don't want anything to happen to you. Like I said, I can't stop them if you get in too deep. Try not to draw attention to yourself." He stood up from the chair and kissed my forehead.

He smiled down at me and I couldn't help but smile back. "I have a meeting tonight downtown. Can I stop by afterwards? Is eight o'clock all right?"

"Yes. That will be fine. I'll be home all night." I stood up and kissed him softly on the lips. "Tell Lily and James I said hi."

Sirius smiled my favourite, crooked smile and waved as he walked out the door. I sat back down at my desk, picking at the remains of my lunch. Could these people really erase my memory? Cause me to forget everything about my life?

The remainder of the day went by without much added excitement. I managed to successfully avoid Mr. Campbell, seeing as I still did not have a draft for the new article. I would, soon, but with the warning Sirius just gave me, I'd have to find a new route for the article to take.

At three o'clock on the dot, I packed up my bag and made my way out to my car. I rummaged in my purse for my keys and found them, after dropping half the contents of the bag onto the cold ground below.

"Bloody bag," I murmured, bending down to hastily throw everything back in a jumbled mess.

"Need some help Krista?" Michael was suddenly bent beside me, helping me gather my belongings.

"Where did you come from?" I asked, looking up into his eyes. He hadn't been anywhere around, had he? As a matter of fact, he wasn't in the office all afternoon. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere.

"I just pulled in and saw you drop your things. Here." He handed me the rest of my pens and papers and I shoved them back into my bag.

"Thanks. Where have you been? I haven't seen you since lunch time." I unlocked my car and put my bags on the backseat.

Michael glanced around, as if checking to see who was watching. "I played hooky for a couple hours. I needed to get out of the office. No one was looking for me, were they?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Your secret's safe with me." I smiled and moved to get into my car.

"Hey, are you free tonight? Would you like to get dinner with me?" He leaned against my car, waiting for my answer.

Did I want to go out with him? No. "I'm sorry, Sirius is coming over tonight." I paused. "Maybe some other time?"

Michael's face changed into a glare, but when I blinked it was gone and I wasn't sure what I had seen.

"Maybe. Are you two together now?" He moved away from my car and I climbed in slowly.

"Yes. But we could always go out as friends one night. Maybe Elizabeth could join us. It'd be nice, to socialize away from the office."

"Maybe. Have a nice night Krista." Michael turned and walked away from me and towards the building.

"Bye," I said softly, but he was too far away to hear.

After shutting my door, I put the key in the ignition and manoeuvred the car out of the parking lot. I glanced around as I pulled out, but didn't see Michael's car. Maybe he got a new one, or was borrowing one.

The drive home was uneventful and by the time I arrived, the absence of Michael's car was the furthest thing from my mind. It was my turn to cook dinner for us, so I flipped through my cookbooks, trying to find something new to try. We had been bored to death with pasta, salads and hamburger. Hmm, chicken parmigiana. That's different, and I even have the ingredients here: chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, sauce and cheese.

Sirius wasn't planning on stopping by until eight, so I took a long, hot shower to ease the tension in my muscles. It wasn't easy. Being told my life was almost in danger can cause quite a bit of stress. When I stepped out, the bathroom was clouded in steam and my fingers were as wrinkled as prunes.

I changed into comfortable clothes, my favourite pair of sweats and an old Uni tee shirt. I read over my novel draft and made corrections until seven thirty.

The doorbell rang promptly at eight and I wiped my hands on a towel before answering it. Sirius laughed when he saw my appearance. My apron was spattered with breadcrumbs and egg and I had a swipe of flour on my cheek.

"You should never be allowed in a kitchen," he said laughingly. After bending down and kissing my forehead, he untied the apron and moved to put it on himself. "Let me finish, okay?"

"No. It's my turn, it's my kitchen. Let me make as much of a mess as I want." I took the apron back and he retied it on around my neck.

"All right, but you're the one who has to clean up the majority of it." He grinned as he took a seat at the dining room table just off the kitchen. "Did you have a good day? After I left?"

I nodded, trying to concentrate on cooking. I covered the pan with foil, placed it in the oven and washed my hands. "Yes, I got a bit of a scare when Michael showed up unexpectedly, but all in all it was okay." I paused. "How did your meeting go?"

Sirius sighed. "I'll tell you after dinner, all right? Let's just enjoy these moments right now."

We continued our small talk, each discussing our day; Sirius providing fewer details than I was. The oven timer rang one hour later and I got up to serve dinner.

We ate in silence, each off in our own world. The only sounds were our forks scratching against our plates and our mouths chewing the food. I watched Sirius out of the corner of my eye. He looked deep in thought and I hated to interrupt him.

"Are you done?" I asked quietly as I stood up to clear the plates.

"Oh, yeah. Here." He handed me the plate and walked to the living room.

I rinsed off the plates and put them in the sink. They could get washed after he left and I was alone for the night. Right now, I wanted to enjoy what time I had with him.

"So you wanted to know about my meeting?" He asked when I had sat down next to him on the couch. I lay down and rested my head in his lap.

"If you want to tell me. But if it's something I don't need to know or shouldn't, don't bother." I closed my eyes and felt his hand tangle itself in my hair. He ran his long fingers through my hair then back up again.

He sighed softly, and I felt his breath on my hair. "We discussed a few things; you came up at one point."

I sat up, causing him to jump slightly. "What do you mean? Why would I come up? What kind of meeting was this?"

"It was a meeting for the group that fights the bad guys. James, Lily and I were discussing what you know about us. A few other people were asking questions."

Suddenly I was scared. James and Lily seemed to like me, but I didn't know any of his other friends. "What… what did they ask?"

"They just wanted to know things about you. What you do, how we met," he paused. "Do I trust you."

"Do you?" I waited, holding my breath. Did he trust me? I held my gaze with him.

He lifted his hand and held my chin. "With my life," he said softly, leaning in and kissing my lips gently. "Do you trust me?"

I nodded, unable to speak. "Good, because unfortunately, I have not-so-good news."

My jaw dropped. "What?" I whispered.

"I'm going to go away for a while. They're sending me on … a mission of sorts. I should only be gone a week." He took my hands tightly in his. He held my gaze as he raised our hands to his lips and kissed each of my fingers.

"What… what are you going to do?" Now I was terrified. What if something happened to him? Why did I let myself get involved this deeply?

"I can't tell you exactly. I will come back though, I promise you that."

"How can you promise something like that? I thought these were the bad guys. Can't they hurt you?" I heard my voice shake and I cleared my throat.

He shook his head and a cocky smile came across his face. "I'm too fast for them. I'll dodge anything they throw at me."

"Don't be so cavalier about this! You could get hurt!" Why was he acting like it wasn't that big of a deal? Had his life been in danger so many times that it meant nothing now?

"I could, but I won't. Krista, don't worry about me. I've been in enough scrapes to know how to take care of myself. All you need to worry about is you." He smiled again, not the cocky smile from before, but a sweet smile. It was the smile that forced me to believe him, to honestly believe that he wouldn't get hurt and would come back to me.

"I have to go. I need to make sure I'm up early to pick up James." He stood up from the couch and I stood with him.

"James is going too?" I asked and he nodded. That made me feel a bit better, at least he wasn't going alone.

"If you need anything, give Lily a call. I should be back by next Friday. Enjoy the weekend and keep out of trouble at work. I'll see you in a week."

He leaned in close and I felt his breath on my lips. His soft lips touched mine and I sighed, loving the feeling. My eyes closed as his hands rested on my waist and my arms moved mine to his neck. We kissed softly, our lips moulding around the others. My lips separated slightly and his warm tongue slipped inside.

Too soon, he pulled his lips from mine and moved them to my jawbone, kissing down my jaw and to my neck. I sighed and moved my head to the side, giving him easier access. His hands caressed my sides as his warm breath on my neck gave my skin goose pimples.

Sirius pulled away and I opened my eyes. "I can't do this right now. I want to save this for when I get back next week."

I nodded and pulled my arms from around his neck. We walked hand-in-hand to the front door and he pulled it open. "I promise I'll be back. I promise Krista." He kissed me again, passionately this time, and again separated too soon. "Bye love."

Sirius walked out the front door and out to his motorbike. He waved as he climbed on.

"Bye," I whispered as I collapsed to the floor. I watched him drive out of sight with the tears blurring my vision. Would I see him again? Or was that the last kiss I'd ever have with him?

* * *

**AN: So this chapter was me trying to get rid of my writer's block. I've been staring at it for a week now and just decided to start writing and see what I got. The beginning is EXTREMEMLY slow... but I do love how the ending turned out. I needed Sirius to leave, but this wasn't supposed to be the chapter. Now that I'm over my writer's block, the next chapter should be up soon! Please leave a review on your way out!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Two days he had been gone, I was still worried sick. Thankfully, he left over the weekend and I was able to take these two days to calm myself enough to get used to the idea that he was in danger. He promised me he'd be safe, but I was still worried.

I had debated calling Lily since yesterday, but I couldn't justify it to myself. He had only been gone over twenty-four hours, not nearly long enough for me to be nervous. If I was going to call her, I should wait until later in the week, after he'd been gone for more than a day.

As I fixed myself a cup of tea, I found myself looking at the calendar. Christmas was almost a month away! How did that happen? I hadn't even thought about presents yet. What could I possibly get Sirius? Maybe Lily would have an idea.

I jumped as the phone rang. Tea sloshed over the rim of my cup and onto my hand. "Ow! Bloody hell!" I exclaimed, quickly running the hand under cool water.

"Hello?" I said breathlessly as I picked up the phone.

"_Krista! We haven't heard from you in days!"_ My mother, figures. It's funny how strange her sense of time is, I talked to her Friday afternoon, and it was only Sunday.

"Mum, I called you Friday."

"_Oh yes, well. That feels like days. How are you? How's your male friend?" _I grinned; leave it to my mum to slide that question in to the conversation.

"I'm fine mum. Everything's going fine at work. Sirius is fine as well. He's… away on a business trip at the moment, but he's supposed to return Friday."

"_Oh! What kind of business?"_ I could hear my mother's immense excitement over the phone.

"Some investigation he's working on." How easy it was to lie to her about this! Granted, it was mostly the truth: he was out of town on business, and it might be an investigation. I didn't know exactly what he was doing.

"_Oh! That's exciting! You must bring him by so your father and I can meet him! How about next weekend? Is Friday all right? I know you said he's getting back then, but maybe he would want to come to dinner."_ My mother babbled on about what she could serve and how nice it would be to finally meet him.

"Sure, I'll ask him when I talk to him. If not, would Saturday work? It might be easier than the night he gets back."

"_Sure, sure. Either night is fine dear. Oh dear, I have to go. Susan Pevensie is supposed to drop by so I can give her the baked goods for church. I'll talk to you later dear! Bye!" _My mother, again, hung up the phone before I could respond. I really should get her out of that habit.

I hung up the phone but picked it right back up again. It may only be Sunday, but Lily might want a phone call. Maybe she wanted company. I certainly did.

Next to the phone was the piece of paper James had given me with their phone number on it. I dialled the numbers with my shaky hand and waited for the tone.

"_Hullo?" _A soft voice asked on the other end.

I crossed my fingers. "Lily? This is Krista Thomas, Sirius'…" I paused, "girlfriend."

"_Hi!"_ She immediately became animated when she heard who I was. _"How are you?"_

"I'm fine. A bit worried and nervous, but fine. How are you?" I sat on one of my bar stools and smiled, I couldn't help but think this might have been a good idea.

"_Same. They've gone on these things several times, but I'm always worried sick. Say, you wouldn't want to come over for a while would you? It's just me and Harry and frankly he's not much for conversation."_

Really, she was inviting me over? "Sure. I'm not doing much today. What's your address?" I wrote down the street address. Godric's Hollow, about a forty-five minute drive from me. "I can be there in forty-five minutes."

"_Great! I'll fix lunch if you're hungry. It'll be so nice to have company."_ She sounded so happy!

"Sure. Do you need me to bring anything?"

"_Just yourself! See you in a bit!"_

"All right. Bye Lily." I hung up the phone after she said good-bye and smiled. Good idea Krista. I would have some company and be able to get to know one of Sirius' friends. Maybe it would help me get rid of this feeling that I don't belong in his life.

I raced up stairs to change my clothes, swapping my old faded tee for a dark brown blouse and raced back down. After grabbing my keys and purse, I locked the door and headed out to my car.

The drive was quite boring, and as I got closer, I began to recognize a few familiar sights. We had taken this road when Sirius and I drove to the Halloween Party.

When I arrived at Lily's house, I couldn't hold back a smile. It was a beautiful house with tan siding and green shudders, a sidewalk from the road to the front door and a small white picket fence surrounding the yard. It was the perfect place to raise a family.

"Oh you did find it alright!" Lily exclaimed as she walked out the front door when I pulled up. "I was afraid you'd get lost."

I shut my door and made my way to the sidewalk. The gate creaked slightly when I opened it and it made me smile. Something so normal almost shocked me. "I remembered bits and pieces of the drive from Halloween. It wasn't too difficult to find."

When I reached the door, Lily pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you came! I've been so lonely here. Remus popped in yesterday afternoon, but only stayed for a few minutes and I haven't seen Peter in weeks."

"I've been all alone in my flat as well. But at least you have Harry, all I have is me to talk to, and I'm not much for conversation." I grinned and Lily laughed.

She smiled at me sweetly and led me into the house. "Harry's down for a nap, so it's just us at the moment. Do you want something to drink? I have water, tea, soda…"

"Water is fine, thank you." I sat down on the couch and smiled at the toys strew across the room. Rattles, stuffed animals and blocks covered the floor by the playpen.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't think about cleaning up. Everyone that stops by is so used to it by now, I don't even think of it." Lily walked back into the room and handed me a glass of water.

"It's fine, really." The whole house seemed so normal! Baby toys scattered across the floor, family pictures (both moving and non-moving) on the walls and tables, there was even a telly in the corner. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. Anything."

"Why do you have a telly in the corner?" Lily laughed loudly as I look on confused.

"My parents are muggles and it makes it feel more like home. James is amused by it once in a while and Harry likes the colours and bright lights." She paused, as if mulling over a question in her head. "May I ask you something?"

When I nodded she went on. "Where did you and Sirius meet? He won't tell us the details and we're all very curious."

"Why won't he tell you? It's nothing major. He stopped in at a bar I used to frequent. When I went back two nights later, he was there again. We went back to his flat and talked until near midnight." I shrugged, unsure why he never told them this. I didn't consider it a big deal, haven't a clue why he did.

"Is that when he told you? What he was? What we all were?" When I nodded, she asked more questions. "What was your reaction? Did you jump up and leave? Were you disgusted?"

This time I shook my head. "I think I was just shocked. I started to leave, but I promised him I would sit and listen, so I stayed. He made a glass with water appear and he called a picture from the other room with his wand. It was kind of hard after that to leave."

Lily nodded with a smile on her face. "Well that's good. When he said he told you, we were worried." She blushed and I looked at her, my brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

She stuttered and seemed embarrassed. "Well, we weren't sure if you would be accepting of this. Not too many muggles are…" she trailed off and gazed out the front window, looking deep in thought.

"Oh," I said softly. What else could I say? She thought I was most likely going to run away screaming and go tell someone.

When she turned back to me, she was grinning. "But you didn't and you're here. So what do you think of Sirius? Really."

"What?" I laughed. "What do you mean?"

Her smile changed from the grin to a mysterious, sly smile. "Well, all I know is that he was a jerk when we were in school and now he's great. What's he like now?"

"He was a jerk in school?" That seemed impossible to me. He was so sweet now!

Lily waved away my question. "Another story for another time."

"Well, he's really sweet. He cooks me lunch and brings it to the office, which drives the entire newspaper crazy. He makes me happy." The smile spread across my face and I felt my cheeks blush bright pink.

Lily laughed. "Good. You seem like you'll be good for him. He hasn't had the best luck with women and love." I gave her a quizzical look and she laughed again. "I'll let him share his relationship history with you. I shouldn't have even mentioned it."

I shifted in the couch, leaning my head back. Lily sighed as a cry echoed down the stairs. "I'm sorry, I'll be right back. It looks like he's awake."

Lily ran up the stairs and I looked around the room. There were family photos on the mantel over the fireplace, pictures on the wall and up the stairwell. The pictures consisted of James and Lily on their wedding day, Sirius and Lily dancing, James, Lily and Harry at what looked a hospital. I stood up and walked to the fireplace. One picture in particular had caught my interest. It was a large group of people, laughing and smiling together. I recognized James, Lily, Sirius and the rest of the guests from the Halloween Party; however, there were dozens of people I had never even seen before: two older gentlemen, women, and men, tall and short.

"That's the group Sirius has been telling you about, the one that's fighting the evil wizards." I jumped as Lily came up behind me. I turned around and was met with the laughing face of a little boy. "This is Harry, you remember him from the party."

"He has your eyes, they're bright green." Lily smiled and walked into the kitchen for a bottle.

"Well Lily, I hate to, but I should get going. It's a forty-five minutes back to my house and it's getting late." I took my gaze from the photo on the mantle and followed her into the kitchen.

"I understand. Thank you for coming by and keeping me company today. If you get lonely this week, give me a ring. It'll just be me and Harry here until they get back Friday." She led me back into the living room and opened the front door.

"Thank you for having me. If you need me, I'm home most evenings." I walked out the door and to my car. After climbing in, I waved to Lily and Harry watching from the doorway.

The drive back home was long and uneventful. It felt much longer than forty-five minutes. When I got to my apartment, I locked the door behind me and sat down at my typewriter. I decided that that moment to being writing down my experiences. Maybe, one day, I could sell them as a book. I'd have to change names and such of course, but it might be interesting.

* * *

**AN: Sorry, that wasn't quite important to the plot, but I needed to give Lily and Krista some company while the boys were off in danger. Next chapter: Sirius returns! Here's a quote from the next chapter:**

**_"Krista, I have something very important to tell you. I think my feelings have changed..." Sirius Black_**

**So feel free to leave a review on either what you thought of this chapter, or what you think might happen in the next chapter! Thanks so much!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It was nearing lunch time and I couldn't help my gaze as it frequently moved towards the clock. I was planning on taking off after lunch to go home and rest. The week had been stressful as two more deaths were reported. I helped Michael write the obituaries and began the draft of the newest article in my series. I was trying as hard as I could to avoid the magical aspect in the story, but it was getting a bit difficult to ignore.

I stared at the typewriter, trying to will the words onto the page. The words were jumbled in my brain, but would not flow to my hands and onto the paper.

"Krista?" Elizabeth called from the entrance to my cubical. "Krista, are you alive in here?" She laughed as she walked in further.

"Ha-ha. Yes, I'm still alive, at least physically. I almost miss the tedious articles I used to write; these are giving me headaches!" I pushed my chair away from my desk and shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

"I'm sure they are. Do you have a moment to take a break? Maybe head out for lunch?" She sat in the chair across from my desk and fiddled with my magnets on the filing cabinet.

"I'm actually heading out for lunch and taking the rest of the day. I need to get away for a bit. Sirius is supposed to come back tomorrow from his business trip and I'd like to clean the flat up a bit."

"Well that makes sense. So he's coming back tomorrow?" She had a sly grin on her face and I couldn't help but wonder why she was grinning like that.

"That's the plan. But I haven't heard from him since he left last week." I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my temples, trying to alleviate the pressure that had accrued.

She nodded then spoke a bit too earnestly if you ask me. "Would you come with me? I have a new art-board for the next Sunday edition and I want your opinion." She stood, taking my hand and gently pulled me from the room.

Unable to avoid it, we walked into the hallway and down towards her cubical. When we reached the doorway to the cubical my eyes widened in shock. Sitting at the chair in front of her desk was a dark head hair, curls down to the man's shoulders. Liz cleared her throat and the man turned to face us.

I stepped backwards and leaned against the wall, my hand flying to my throat. Sirius stood with a cocky grin on his face. I glanced over to Liz and she was also grinning, her hands clasped in front of her. "I knew that was the only way I'd get you out of your room." She had this planned! That sly girl!

"Hi Kris." He didn't walk towards me, but stayed back by her desk. What was he waiting for? Was I supposed to make the first move? "Would you like to go for a walk? I heard you were taking the rest of the day off. There's a nice park down the road, care to join me for lunch?" He gestured towards a picnic basket on the floor by his feet.

I nodded, unable to trust myself with speech. He moved forward and took my hand, flashing a wink to Liz. I held his hand tightly as we walked back to my cubicle to retrieve my purse and so I could put up my belongings for the night.

"Are you going to say anything? Or just stand there and stare at me with that vacant look in your eyes?" He smirked and reached down to grab my purse off the floor. After handing it to me, he took my hand and picked up the picnic basket with the other and we slowly walked out of the office.

"You're back early," I whispered when we got out to the parking lot. His motorbike was by the front door and we reached it quickly. The picnic basket was hooked onto the back and he held out a helmet for me to wear. I was suddenly thankful for wearing pants to work that morning.

Sirius held the bike for me while I climbed on. With the helmet clicked tightly around my head, I held on to his waist as he kicked the bike to life. We drove off down the road and I laughed in spite of myself. The wind rushing against my face gave me a chill and I laughed again.

When we arrived at the small park, Sirius kicked out the kickstand and leaned the bike down. He helped me climb off and took my helmet, placing it back on the bike handles. He took my hand, grabbed the picnic basket off the back and led me down to a patch of trees by a small pond.

I looked out over the pond, watching the ducks swim in circles, and when I glanced back, a picnic blanket had appeared on the ground and Sirius was sitting down, waiting for me to join him. "Care to join me my dear?"

Smiling, I sat down next to him. "You really haven't said much," he said softly. "Is there a reason behind that?"

I shook my head. "You're back early."

He laughed. "You said that already."

"So I did. You're okay though, right? And James is okay?" My hands were clasped on my lap, held tightly. My eyes were fixed on my fingernails.

He reached a hand over and took my hands, pulling them towards him. "Yes, we're both fine. We had a bit of a skirmish, but everything is fine. I promised I'd come back to you, didn't I?"

When I didn't say anything he reached out and tipped my chin up so that my eyes met his. "I promised, didn't I?"

"Yes," I whispered. "You promised."

"Did you not believe me?" His eyes drew me in and I felt like floating.

"I didn't know what to believe. Lily told me you'd be fine, that you always were, but I didn't know. I've been worried sick this past week." All my bottled up emotions came flooding out as the tears ran down my cheeks and my chest was wracked with sobs.

Sirius moved closer to me on the blanket, pulling me towards him. My head rested on his chest and I felt his shirt get damper from my tears. His hand ran through my hair, his fingers separating the strands of hair.

"Shh. Don't cry Krista." He held me close, rocking me slowly back and forth.

After a few moments, my breathing slowed, my sobs calmed and the tears dried. I pulled back slightly from Sirius and looked up in his eyes. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Don't even apologize for your emotions. You didn't know what to expect, its fine. Next time you'll know what to anticipate."

"Next time," I exclaimed, pulling away completely. "What next time?"

Sirius sighed. "I'll have to go away again. There are missions that I'm needed to go on and things I'm needed to do. But don't worry about that right now. We don't have to fret about that for a while. Let's just enjoy our picnic lunch in the unseasonably warm weather." He reached into the basket and pulled out sandwiches, salads and bottles of soda.

I picked at my salad and sandwich. Sirius ate his lunch in the time it took me to take a few bites of my own. He was watching me closely, and I couldn't figure out why. Could it be because I had hardly said anything since he picked me up at work?

"Krista, love, what's wrong?" He cleared away our plates and pulled me closer to him. I leaned back and rested my head in his lap. "Tell me."

I shook my head. "Nothing, I'm fine. I promise."

We didn't speak for a while. I kept my head in his lap as his long fingers ran though my hair. After what seemed like an hour, he gently sat me up and looked me in the eyes. "Krista, I have something very important to tell you. I think my feelings have changed..."

My heart stopped beating and I couldn't breathe. "What?" I managed to squeak out.

His eyes grew wide, as if he just realized what he had said. "No! No, that's not what I meant. No Krista, I think…" he paused and my heart stopped again. "I think I'm falling in love with you." Sirius's dark grey eyes were wide and he looked frightened.

"What?" I whispered this time.

"I think I'm falling in love with you." He repeated and the look of fright had not yet left his face.

"I… I…" I didn't know what to say. It had taken Ian nearly six months to say he loved me, Sirius and I had only been together for less than a month!

"I know this isn't the best time for you. You're still not completely over what's-his-name, but I needed you to know. Being away from you this past week made me realize I don't want to be away from you anymore. I've honestly never felt this way about a girl… woman before." He looked up, seemingly expecting an answer.

"I… I don't know what to say," I whispered and I had to strain to hear myself talk. "I have no…"

"I know," he interrupted. "This is extremely fast for you, isn't it?" He had a smile playing on his lips and I had to force myself to smile back.

Nodding, I tried to choose my words carefully. "It's not that I don't care about you because I do. Very much actually. I just don't know if I can say that back to you."

"I understand," he said as the smile turned into a grin. "You'll be able to, one day."

"You seem so sure of that." I tried to hide the smile on my face, but was very unsuccessful. He laughed and my smile turned downward into a frown.

Sirius leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I am love. No one can deny the great Sirius Black."

I smacked his shoulder and scowled at him. "Well fine then. I'll make sure I don't fall in love with you. That'll prove you wrong."

He immediately stopped laughing. "Please don't," he whispered his voice low. "I was being honest when I said I've never felt this way before. In case you hadn't heard, I've had a lot of 'relationships' and none have ended well. I want this one to be different."

"Lily said something about that the other day. I wasn't sure if she was exaggerating or telling the truth." I looked away, not sure if I wanted to hear about his awful love life.

I heard him sigh and snuck a glance back at him. "Lily knows all about my bad relationships. Did she tell you about anything?"

"No, she said you could do that. It wasn't any of her business to tell me." I wrapped my arms around myself as a cool breeze blew through the park.

Sirius nodded. "Are you cold?"

"A bit."

He began packing up the remnants of our lunch as I shivered against my thin sweater. "Here," he said, handing me a jacket from the basket. "Wear this on the ride back."

I stood and pulled it on quickly. It smelled like him and I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks."

"Not a problem my lady. Can't have you freeze to death on the ride back now can we?" He laughed and took my hand as we walked back to where his motorbike had been parked. "Where to now?"

"Can we go back to my flat, at least for right now? I'd like to change out of these dress clothes." He nodded and helped me onto the bike. "Oh, before I forget, my mum wants to meet you. Is it all right if we have dinner there tomorrow? If not, feel free to say no, it's quite all right." I held my breath and waited for the worst.

"Sure, we can have dinner there tomorrow. I'd love to meet your parents." My jaw dropped as he climbed on in front of me. "Hold on tight!" He yelled over the growl of the motor.

As we drove off down the road, I couldn't help but think, over and over, 'Sirius Black is falling in love with me!'

* * *

**AN: I apologize that this chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones. We'll start getting real action soon enough. We've got "Meeting the Parents" next chapter! I don't have a quote yet, because I've not quite begun the next chapter :-( sorry!!**

**Also, I'm sure many of you are thinking... 'they're moving awfully fast!' well... that's why I had Sirius say he's "Falling in love with her" not that he actually was. I'm partially basing this off my life, and my husband said that to me after 1mth of dating...**

**Well, you know what to do! Thanks for reading!**

**muzical**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face. I had taken the day off from work so that I could get ready for Sirius' return. I was caught up on my work and had no new information for the article series so Mr. Campbell was willing to let me have the day off.

Sirius was back, safe and sound; and the best part was, he spent the night. I lay in bed, remembering every moment from the time I saw him in front of Liz's desk. After our picnic, we came back to my flat and I changed into more comfortable jeans and an old (but still in good shape) tee shirt. We visited with James, Lily and Harry for a little while. That little boy was sure getting big!

Sirius snored loudly on my left and I giggled softly. I extricated myself from his grasp (his arm was wrapped tightly around my waist) and slowly climbed out of bed. The clock read 9:42am and I found myself wishing I was still asleep. After grabbing my robe out of the closet, I made my way downstairs to fix breakfast, one of the only things I could cook without having it blow up in my face or cover me in flour.

I scrambled the eggs in the bowl and boiled water for tea. In the middle of cooking the bacon, two arms wrapped around me and pulled me backward.

"Good morning love," Sirius whispered in my ear, as he kissed my neck.

"Good morning," I said, turning around to meet his eyes. I kissed his nose and turned back to the oven to finish cooking. "Go sit down, I've got this here."

Sirius poured himself a mug of hot water and steeped the Breakfast Tea bag. I smiled as he sat down at my kitchen table. This was nice. Sirius was sipping tea and sitting at my kitchen table. We fit like this.

"Here you go," I said platting the eggs, bacon and toast. I walked it over and placed it in front of him then went back to get my plate.

"Wow, you certainly can cook breakfast," Sirius said with a mouthful of eggs. "Nothing else of course." He grinned my favourite grin and winked at me.

"So are you ready to meet my parents today?" I asked slyly. His grin fell suddenly and I laughed loudly. "Oh, come on. It won't be that bad. Mum is a bit hyper, but Dad is relaxed. They're quite a pair actually." He nodded, but still didn't look excited about the prospect of meeting my family.

We ate out breakfast quietly, each letting our thoughts overtake our consciousness. When I had finished, I stood up to clear my plate but Sirius grabbed my arm gently. "Do you know what today is?" He asked softly, his grey eyes sparkling.

My mind ran though possibilities. "Well, it's Sunday for one." What else could he be talking about?

"Well love," he started, standing up and walking towards me. "We have been officially together for one month." He leaned against the table and took the plates out of my hands, placing them back on the table. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer towards him. "One whole month," he whispered into my ear.

"Really?" Had it really been a month? It's gone by so fast!

"Really," Sirius said back to me. "So to honour our one month together, I got you this." He pulled a long, thin box out of his pocket and handed it to me.

I stared down at it. The box was black, with gold trim around the centre. "Go ahead, open it." His eyes sparkled when I looked into them.

I took the box in my left hand and slowly opened it with my right. "Oh my," I breathed as I opened the box completely. Inside was a silver charm bracelet with one charm already on it, a quill and parchment. "Sirius, it's beautiful!"

"Here, let me put it on you." He took the bracelet from the box and I held out my arm. The cool metal gave me a shiver when it hit the skin of my wrist. "Do you like it?" He looked down into my eyes expectantly.

Nodding, I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek. "I do thank you. But I didn't get you anything. I honestly forgot what the date was."

He laughed and kissed my nose. "Not a problem. I didn't give this to you to make you feel guilty; I did it because I like you." After letting my wrist free from his gentle grasp, he turned around and picked up the plates from the table. "Now go upstairs, shower, get dressed and I'll clean up down here. We're supposed to be at your parents by seven, right?"

I nodded and he laughed again. "Speechless?" He tapped my nose as he walked past. "I need to keep you, you're a cute one."

I spun around too fast and tripped over the kitchen chair Sirius had just been leaning against. My cheeks flushed bright pink as I slowly made my way up the stairs to change into something more appropriate for dinner at my parents. My pyjamas weren't going to go over well.

I finished my shower and Sirius jumped in after me. He changed back into the clothes he wore the day before. We were planning on stopping by his house before driving to my parents.

Searching through the massive amount of blouses in my closet, I finally decided on a long sleeved button-up purple top and a pair of grey khakis. Halfway through changing, Sirius came up and sat on the bed, watching me. I rummaged through my jewellery box to find a necklace and pair of earrings to match the new bracelet.

When I turned around to grab my purse off the bed, Sirius was staring at me. "You are so beautiful," he said and my cheeks blushed bright pink. He leaned in and gently kissed my lips, leaving me breathless.

"Thank you," I whispered, keeping my gaze on the floor. After shaking my head, causing my hair to fall into my face, I managed to meet his eyes. I looked down at my watch. "Are you ready to go? I figure we could go to your flat first and you can change."

He nodded and took my hand in his, holding it tightly. We walked down the steps side-by-side and out the front door. I locked the door tightly behind me and handed him my keys. "I don't remember where your flat it, so you'll have to drive."

I walked around the car to the passenger's side and he sat down in the driver's seat.

The drive wasn't long, but very uneventful. I stared at the trees flying past and tried to keep my mind from wandering too far from the moment. Why would he buy me something for a one-month anniversary? Did he want something from me? Something I wasn't ready to give up yet?

When we arrived at his flat, he took my hand again and led me inside. I sat on the couch while he ran back to the bedroom to change. He had a small book on the side table, and I was nosy so I picked it up and began thumbing through it.

_I don't know what to do. I told her I'm falling in love with her but she didn't have an answer. James laughed at me and Lily flashed me that look of pity she sometimes gets. _

_She isn't like anyone I've ever met before! I…_

I slammed the book shut and placed it back on the table exactly the way it was. I couldn't bear to read anymore. It was his private journal and here I was, flipping through like it was nothing.

Was he that upset I didn't have an answer? Should I have said something? I was no good with this. Could I be falling in love with him? Or…

"Kris? Are you listening?" Sirius said, waving his hand in front of my face.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "Yes, I'm sorry. I must have been lost in my thoughts. I didn't even hear you calling me." Running my fingers through my hair, I let it fall into my face, covering my eyes.

"Are you all right? You seem a bit out of it right now." He sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulders.

"Yes, I'm fine." I looked down at my watch. It was a few minutes after six. "If we leave now, we'll get there just before seven."

Sirius nodded and took my hand, walking next to me out of the room and out the door. When we reached the steps outside, he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back. "You really are very beautiful you know." He leaned down and kissed my cheek, giggling at the bright pink colour that I had come to determine would be permanently fixed on my face today.

"Come on," I pulled him out the door and to my car. He slid in the passenger side and I into the driver's seat.

The drive out to my parents' house was long and quiet. The radio played soft classical in the background and Sirius stared out the window at the scenery. The fields, trees and flowers flew past as I turned off the main road onto a small side street just down the road from my parents' house.

I eased the car into the driveway and shook Sirius' shoulder. He had fallen asleep. "Hey love, we're here." His eyes blinked several times and he whipped his face with his hands.

"Okay," he said with his voice heavy with sleep.

I smiled as I climbed out of the car and walked around to Sirius. Sirius stood and leaned against the car, his eyes flicking back and forth from me to the front door. "What's the matter? Are you nervous?" I couldn't hold back the quiet laugh as the realisation came clear. "You are!"

"I'm not nervous," he murmured under his breath.

"Yes you are. The man who fights creatures I've only read about is scared to meet his girlfriend's parents." The smile spread across my face and I laughed again.

"Alright you. You just better be glad I won't introduce you to my family. You'd never make it out of the house alive." He glared at the ground then shook his head and when he looked up, the glare was gone.

I glanced at him quizzically, but shrugged it off. He'd tell me when he was ready. I took his hand and together we walked up the sidewalk and to the door. The doorbell hadn't rung one full time before my mother threw the door open and squealed. Yes, squealed.

"Krista!" She exclaimed as she opened the screen door to let us in. "Alan! Krista's here!"

I felt Sirius squeeze my hand as we walked through the door and into the living room. My mother shut the door behind us and pulled me in for a long, tight hug. "How are you? Was the drive long? Was there much traffic? Did your car do well on gas?" The questions were fired at me a mile-a-minute and I barely had a moment to breath.

"I'm fine. The drive was as long as it usually is. There was hardly any traffic and my car made it on one tank of gas." I took a deep breath and tried to flash a reassuring smile at Sirius. "Mum, can we come in? Or shall we stand in the vestibule all afternoon?"

"Yes! Yes of course. Come in, come in!" My mum ushered us into the living room where my father was watching football on the telly. "Alan, turn off the telly and greet your daughter!"

"Hi dad," I said and walked over to give him a hug, leaving Sirius standing alone by the stairs. When our short hug ended, I moved back to Sirius' side. "Mum, Dad, this is Sirius, my boyfriend."

"Yes of course!" My mum squealed again. She walked quickly to him and pulled him in for a tight hug, causing his face to pale in shock. I covered my laugh with a poor attempt at a cough but Dad heard me and smiled.

"It's nice to meet you Sirius," my Dad said, walking forward to shake Sirius' hand.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Thomas." Sirius shook my dad's hand politely and I smiled, so far this was going well.

We moved to the couch and I sat down, pulling Sirius gently down with me. "Would you like anything to drink? You've been driving for such a long while." My mum fluttered around the living room and I found myself suddenly homesick. I missed living here, with my mother and her overly excited attitude.

"I wouldn't mind some tea Mum." I turned to Sirius and he nodded, his eyes still showing how nervous he was. "Make it two cups of tea please."

Sirius and I sat close on the couch and I kept my hand wrapped around his for comfort. I was used to my mother's hyperactivity but Sirius, apparently, was not used to being around someone like that.

Mum came back a short while later with our tea and a tray of cookies. I leaned forward to fix mine how I wanted and Sirius followed suit.

"Well Sirius, what do you do for a living?" Of course, the stereotypical first question asked by a father upon meeting his daughter's boyfriend. He had asked Ian the exact same question the first time I brought Ian over.

"Well I'm close to a bobby I guess you could say. I do a lot of private investigations involving

"Well that's interesting," Dad said sitting back in his chair and lighting his pipe. He most likely wouldn't say much else the entire time we were visiting.

"Do you have your own place?" Mum asked from her spot on the loveseat next to my father.

"Yes ma'am, I do. It's a small one bedroom flat, but it's good enough for just me at the moment." Sirius seemed a bit more comfortable talking to my parents and I relaxed just slightly.

"Oh wonderful! Have you been to Krista's home? It's beautiful isn't it? Do you have any brother's or sisters Sirius?" I shook my head. Mum was getting her stride back. She'd ask about a thousand more questions before we left.

"I have been to Krista's home and it is very beautiful. I have one younger brother who is still in school." He made a slight face at the word brother, but it was gone as quickly as it arrived. "I also have a Godson. He's my best mate's son." Sirius' face lit up as he began telling my mum about his Godson. Mum was laughing at all the stories Sirius was telling.

She stood up a few minutes later and dragged my father into the kitchen with her, leaving Sirius and me alone in the living room. "You're mother…" he said with a laugh.

I shook my head. "I know, I know. She's quite a lot to handle. They seem to like you though, so that's a good sign." I took his hand in mine and squeezed it. "Don't worry, the hard part's over." He breathed a sigh of relief just as my mum called us to say dinner was ready.

It was a dinner without incident, and my mother kept her incessant questions to a minimum, allowing Sirius to chew his food in between. We stayed in the dining room through desert and finally retreated back to the living room with our steaming cups of tea.

"Krista, would you help me clear the dishes?" My Mum dragged me off to the kitchen, leaving Sirius alone with my father.

"Umm, sure Mum. I'll be right there." I squeezed his hand reassuringly as we separated, me going to wash dishes and him to sit in silence with my father.

"He is absolutely gorgeous!" My mother exclaimed as she handed me a clean towel to dry with. "His eyes are the most unique colour!"

What were they talking about… were they talking? "Uh, yes. They are, aren't they?" Mum chattered on while I mechanically dried the dishes and put them away.

"Well Mum," I said, handing her the wet towel. "We should probably get going. I don't want to be driving too late."

"Of course! I hadn't' realized how late it was!" She gently ushered me back into the living room. "Alan, Krista and Sirius should be getting home. We don't want her driving too late."

I grinned as Sirius flashed me a look that plainly said 'thank you.' My dad stood up and shook Sirius' hand before hugging me good-bye. "Drive safe," he whispered and I got a sudden rush of homesickness. I nodded, trying to keep the rush of tears hidden in my eyes.

"Thank you for dinner Mr. and Mrs. Thomas," Sirius said after my mum gave him one of her famous good-bye hugs.

"Do come by again, won't you Sirius? Even if Krista isn't with you, we'd be happy to have you."

I gently prodded him towards the door and we waved back as we made our way to the car. After another two minutes of waving and calling good-byes, we finally managed to get into the car and backed out of the driveway.

"I'll have you know that was only the second time I've met a girl's parents. None of my girlfriends ever brought me home to meet their families," Sirius said after we had driven out of the driveway and were back on the main road.

"Well I think you did a great job. My mother can be a bit… overwhelming. But I think you did wonderful dealing with her and her incessant questions. She absolutely adores you!"

He nodded and we drove in silence for a few more minutes before he spoke again. "I meant what I said earlier. You won't have to ever meet my family."

"May I ask why not?"

He didn't answer for a while and I chose not to pressure him. "My family disowned me when I was sixteen. I ran away from home to live at James' house with his parents. My parents… my family, are the kind of witches and wizards I warned you about. They don't like muggles and don't believe we should associate with them." He continued to stare out the window and I focused on my driving.

His parents would hate me. My parents seemed to love him, but I was not welcome in his family home. I'd never meet anyone…

"Oh," was all I could say.

Sirius turned towards me with a smile on his face. "But don't worry. You've met the people I consider family, James and Lily, and they love you."

I blushed again and we fell back into a comfortable silence. Were we moving too fast? Should this slow down just a bit, before something happens?

* * *

**AN: Wow. I don't quite know how I feel about this chapter. It didn't turn out the way I wanted, but oh well. If you have any suggestions, feel free to give them to me :-)**

**So far, this story will have 35 chapters, but I'm still not done. I keep adding extra details. Well, until I update again, please leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The days past, and soon the rain turned into cold, wet snow. November ended in a blistery snowstorm, leaving snowdrifts on and around my car. December was already off to a cold start; I had to pull out my warmest sweaters ad heaviest jackets.

We, Sirius and I, were relaxing on his couch, his right hand clasped with mine and his other gently running his fingers up and down my arm. I shivered, happier than I had been in a long time.

After few more minutes, Sirius released my fingers and stood up. He walked across the room and picked up two packages from a bookcase, wrapped in paper with a bow tied on the larger one. "Happy Birthday Krista," Sirius said with a grin. He placed the two boxes into my hands with the grin I had grown to love. One box was small, no longer than a library card and the other larger, about the size of a textbook.

"Sirius, what is this? I told you not to get me anything." I shot him a glare and he laughed, gently pushing the two boxes deeper into my hands.

"Just open it Krista. Please?" He flashed his sad puppy dog smile and I couldn't help but smile back; his smile always melted my heart.

"Fine, but…" he leaned in and kissed me, keeping me from finishing my sentence and distracting me from anything else. Why didn't I want to open the box? Of course I did, I like presents, didn't I? My mind blurred and the argument I had been planning melted away.

My finger slid underneath the flap and gently peeled the paper apart. I did this for all the pieces of tape while Sirius impatiently taping his finger on his leg. He moved to sit behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me close to his chest.

The paper soon slid off and I was left with a large white box. "Open it," he whispered in my ear, causing shivers to run up my spine. His breath was warm on my ear lobe, causing my breath to catch in my throat.

"Don't do that, you're distracting me." I turned around to scold him and his amused expression changed to something that looked like sheepishness.

"I'm sorry." He leaned back away from me, putting about a foot distance between us. The space between us grew cold and I sighed. "Go ahead, what are you waiting for?"

I flashed a glare at him as I gently opened the lid. Inside the box was a beautiful leather bound book. I lifted it out and opened it. The pages were blank except for the first one. Sirius had written the date and a short message to me.

_Krista,__ 8 December 1980_

_You have been simply wonderful to be this past month and I don't think I've ever been happier than I am now. Thank you for everything._

_Yours always,_

_Sirius_

As I closed the book, I looked up and met his eyes. "Thank you," I whispered. "It's beautiful."

"I wasn't sure if you kept a journal, but I saw this and it looked like something you should have. Especially seeing as how all you do is write." He laughed again and kissed my nose.

I started to protest but he kissed me gently, cutting off my sentence. "Here, open the next one," he said softly when we separated. His voice was low and rough as he handed me the smaller box.

I slid my finger underneath the flap and lifted the paper. I was left with a small, white box. I removed the top and smiled. A small charm rested on a white piece of gauze, a black dog. "Why a dog?" I asked with a smile.

Sirius took my wrist and unclasped my bracelet. He carefully attached the black dog charm near the quill & parchment he had purchased with the bracelet. "I might tell you one day," he said with a grin.

Once the charm was attached to the bracelet, he refastened it on my wrist. His fingers grazed my wrist and I shivered again, loving the feeling of his fingertips on my skin. "Now, whether I'm around or not, you won't be able to forget me."

"How could I forget you?" I asked rhetorically. "You're impossible to forget." It was my turn to laugh and he shook his head.

Sirius leaned in, his soft lips meeting mine. I sighed as he continued kissing me. My hands let the box fall to the couch and moved to rest in his hair. He slowly leaned me back until he was straddling me. I couldn't think; my mind was void of everything but him.

"Mm, Sirius…" I sighed. "Sirius, please." I gently pushed my hands against his chest, stopping him from going any further. "Please?"

He sat up and adjusted himself while I fixed my hair and shirt. "I'm sorry," said as I felt my face warm slightly.

"It's fine." He leaned in and gently kissed my cheek. "Now come on. We have to get ready for dinner this evening." He took my hand and pulled me off the couch, slowly leading me to the door. He grabbed his keys off the counter and handed me my jacket.

I continued to glare at him as he dragged me into my closet. "Why again are we having a birthday dinner for me?"

Sirius grinned his famous grin and I crossed my arms, pouting. He led me out the door against my will and handed me a helmet. I climbed on the bike behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, holding tightly. That was the one thing I didn't need today, to fall off the motorbike.

We drove through the town and along the back roads to my flat. I kept my eyes closed for most of the drive. The motorbike still terrified me every time I rode on it.

Very soon, my neighbourhood came into view and I allowed myself a small smile. The bike came to a screeching halt and I screamed. Sirius' loud laugh barked through my terror. I felt the kickstand click into place and Sirius' arms wrapped around me, lifting me off the bike and holding me close to his chest.

"Oh Kris. I'm sorry love. I didn't mean to scare you love." He kissed my forehead and carried me to the front door. I pulled out my keys and slipping it into the lock, letting the door fly open.

Sirius was still carrying me and I laughed as he plopped me down on the couch unceremoniously. "Are you all right?" He asked, sitting down next to me.

I nodded. "Yes, you just scared the living daylights out of me earlier. I wasn't expecting that type of stop."

His bright white teeth shone as he grinned at me again. "Do you have something picked out to wear tonight? Seeing as you're the guest of honour?"

"No," I said shaking my head. "I just figured I'd wear this." I gestured down at my jeans and sweater. When I looked back up, he was shaking his head.

"Oh no. Come. I'll pick out something for you to wear." He took my hand and together we walked up the steps to my bedroom. "Wow," he said when he walked through the door. "I've never seen your room. It's very… you."

I looked around, grimacing at the brown and tan paint and the standard wooden furniture. It wasn't anything special.

Sirius turned around, frowning when he saw my face. "Well, it's warm, like you are." He stumbled over his words, trying to justify his assumption. "Oh whatever. Come on, let's find you something to wear."

He moved to my closet and opened the doors. His face fell when he saw my lack of a wardrobe. There were a few sweaters folded on a shelf, some jeans and dress slacks hanging from hangers and a few blouses pushed off to the side. He fingered through a few blouses and moved to the back. A grin slowly grew across to his face. "You are going to wear… this… or this…or this." He began pulling out clothes for me to wear.

I stared at the outfit in his hands: my denim mini-skirt (bought on a whim and never worn) and a tight wrap-around top that clung to me in all the right places (or wrong ones depending on your point of view). "You can't be serious. I'm not wearing that." My face was one of pure horror and he laughed at my expression.

"Ah my dear, but I am Sirius." I frowned and he laughed. "Come on, you'll look gorgeous in this. Please? For me?"

My head shook rapidly back and forth. "Not to a restaurant…" My complaints fell silent as his lips pouted in a sad puppy look. His eyes begged and I sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll wear the bloody thing." I grabbed the clothes and stomped off to the bathroom in exaggerated frustration.

The door slammed behind me and I quickly changed into the skirt and blouse. I pulled my impossibly straight hair up into a high ponytail and carefully added a purple flower clip to the ponytail. My make-up was simple, some eye shadow, liner, mascara and some lipstick.

When I exited the bathroom, the frown was still on my face as I avoided all the mirrors. I heard Sirius' gasp, and when I looked over, his mouth was wide open. "Oh, I knew this outfit wasn't going to work. I'll go change." I moved to hurry back to the bathroom when he quickly took my hand.

"You misunderstand," he said softly, turning me to face him. "You are absolutely gorgeous right now. I don't believe I'm anywhere within your league. You are far too beautiful to go in public with the likes of me, a mangy mutt."

I glanced behind me in the mirror. The skirt came to mid-thigh and the blouse clung tightly to me, forcing my cheeks to blush bright pink. "Do I really look pretty?" I asked softly, moving my eyes back to meet his. Could I actually look pretty for a change?

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "You never look simply pretty. Now get some shoes and let's go before we're late for dinner."

Rummaging through my closet, I found my purple heels and carefully slipped them on my feet. I grinned when I looked back up at him. "I'm almost as tall as you now."

Sirius laughed and took my hand, leading me down the steps and out to the parking lot. "Well love. I hate to do it, but can we take your car? I don't see you getting on my motorbike in that skirt." His eyes roamed up and down my exaggerated long legs and back up to my eyes.

I laughed as I pulled out my keys and handed them to him. "Of course. Thank you for suggesting it."

He unlocked the door and we drove off, driving back through the country and into the next town. We pulled into a small parking lot and I smiled at the sign _Arancia_. Sirius came around and opened the door for me and I carefully slid out of the seat, keeping my knees together to avoid showing my panties to the entire parking lot.

We walked hand in hand to the door, the maître d' held the door open, and we walked through, a shy smile plastered on my face. He quickly led us to a private table in the back of the restaurant. The restaurant was lit with candles and soft chamber music filled the room.

I smiled as my napkin was placed gently on my lap and the menu in front of me. My eyes couldn't help but roam around, taking in the calm atmosphere. "This place is beautiful," I told Sirius softly.

"A beautiful dinner for a beautiful woman," he replied with a smile.

We both looked down at our menus, trying to decide the best meal to try. Everything sounded lovely and I was having a difficult time choosing.

"Are you ready love?" Sirius asked and I looked up, seeing the waiter staring at me with a bored look.

"Oh, yes. I'll have the Chicken Piccata please, with house dressing on the salad, and a glass of water please." I handed the waiter my menu with a smile, which he didn't return, and waited for Sirius to give his order.

When the waiter walked off, Sirius took my hands in his. "You seem lost in thought, are you all right this evening?"

"Yes. I just can't believe it's my birthday. I feel so old!" I hung my head in my hands and stifled a laugh.

"Krista, you're only twenty-two, that's hardly old." Sirius grinned and lifted my chin to force me to meet his eyes. His grey ones sparkled and I smiled. "I'm still older than you are. I turn twenty-three in May; you've got a whole other year."

We laughed and chatted all through the salad and our meals. I realized one major thing sitting there with him; I hadn't been this happy for as long as I could remember.

After the desserts were brought out, small slices of Tiramisu, and the check paid, Sirius looked up and took my hands in his. "Krista, I have something I'd like to ask you. Please, feel free to say no, I really don't mind. Well, I mean, I do mind but…" he trailed off, obviously flustered with himself.

"What do you want to ask me?" I asked softly. I couldn't help but smile; it was nice seeing someone other than myself blushing and stumbling over words.

He took a deep breath and I smiled again. "Krista, would you like to move in with me?"

My smile fell and my jaw dropped. "Mind repeating that?" I managed to whisper.

"Would you like to move in with me? You know, share my flat? Wake up and eat breakfast together?" He squeezed my hands reassuringly.

"I… I don't know," I whispered. Move in with him? Share a bathroom? Eat breakfast in the same kitchen? Possibly sleep in the same bed?

"I know," he started. "It's very sudden. But Krista, I've never felt like this before. I love you Krista and I want to protect you." His eyes pleaded with me. "Please?"

I took a deep breath and sighed. "My Mum will murder me and who knows what Father would do."

"Your parents love me."

That was true. "Yes, they might but…" I trailed off. Every argument I had against moving in died away. If I wanted to continue with my news article, moving in with him would be the best possible option. That way, he would be able to keep an eye on me if something were to go wrong and I, I swallowed hard, wouldn't get hurt.

I nodded. "Yes, I'll move in with you." I sighed again, could I be making the biggest mistake of my life?

The unsure look that had occupied his face throughout the entire conversation quickly turned into a grin. He swiftly stood and pulled me up with him. I felt myself being pulled out of the restaurant at an intense speed.

When we reached the parking lot, Sirius pulled me into a tight hug. "You have made me the happiest man alive right now," he whispered into my ear as he stroked my hair.

I rested my cheek on his shoulder and tightly held my arms around his neck. "I love you Krista, I do and one day, you'll feel the same." He kissed the top of my head.

As long as I was staying in this relationship, I might as well go through all the way. It couldn't be too bad, living with a wizard, could it?

* * *

**AN:** I only own Krista... everything else is a product of J.K.R.'s imagination. _Arancia _is actually an Italian restaurant in Southwark England. At least, that's what Google tells me :-)

On another note, I only received 3 reviews for the last chapter. Now, I'm now going to beg, but I would greatly appreciate a few more. I know people are reading it, so please leave a review! Please?

Lots of Drama in the next chapter! Here's a preview:

Sirius "Oh Merlin. James! James get in here and help me!"  
James "What happened? Is she bleeding?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Benjy Fenwick was reported missing yesterday morning. His wife reported him missing to the local authorities after he failed to return home Monday evening (December 8th). Authorities have no leads at the moment." I reread the news brief aloud, making sure the tenses and words meshed together. This poor man vanished, leaving behind his wife and two small children, both under two years of age.

_Authorities have no new leads on the vicious murders of several local persons. Christopher Lyons was found murdered in his home last week. Medical officials have no guesses on what killed him. Lyons was found in his home, frozen stiff. The coroner released his report, saying that Christopher Lyons was scared to death. Lyons was 43._

"So I hear you're moving out of your flat and into Sirius'?" Liz asked as she walked up to my desk.

"How do rumours get around this office so fast?" I closed my book with a sigh and leaned back in my chair. Really? This was impossible. "He just asked me Monday."

Liz sat down in one of the chairs that crowded my cubicle. "Yes, and it is now Thursday, plenty of time for this to get around."

"I only told Mr. Campbell! I gave him the change of address form, which was it!" Who else had access to that information? Marlene in Accounting, that's who; the gossip queen of the office. "Marlene told you, didn't she?"

Grinning, Liz nodded. "She couldn't wait to say you were moving. I think she just assumed you were moving in with him. I sort of put two and two together. No, I didn't tell anyone else if that's what you were going to ask," she added, seeing my mouth open.

The question was on the tip of my tongue but she answered it before I even asked. "Yes, I'm moving in with Sirius. And you're sure no one else knows?"

"No, I haven't told anyone." She leaned back and smiled.

"Haven't told anyone what?" Michael asked, popping his head through the entrance to my cubicle.

I shivered involuntarily. Lately, he'd been giving me a creepy feeling that I just couldn't put my finger on. "Nothing. Hey, did you know they're about ready to declare that Fenwick fellow deceased? He's been missing for four days now and with things the way they are, everyone's assuming he's dead."

Michael nodded and watched me closely. I shivered again and reached for my sweater, playing it off as being chilly. "I had heard that. I guess I'll have to start working on an obituary. Let's just hope he doesn't turn up in a few days, dazed and confused like poor Christopher. Did you hear his family put him in the hospital? Said he started acting like he was a tiger, trying to bit people and everything. You should watch out, maybe this job is cursed." Liz and he laughed, and I joined hesitantly. Could what happened to Christopher really have to do with this job?

"Yeah, I'll have to watch out." I closed my notebook and pulled the paper out of the typewriter. "Well, I should drop this off on Mr. Campbell's desk before leaving. I'll catch you two later." I moved to leave but Michael wouldn't step aside. "Excuse me," I said, trying to squeeze between the door and him.

"One second," he started, taking my hand in his. "Liz and I were wondering if you would like to join us for a small Christmas party tonight. We're getting together with a few other people from the office and would love it if you were there." He bent down and kissed the back of my hand and I fought the urge to rip it from his grasp.

Forcing a smile, I glanced back at Liz. She had a puzzled look on her face. "Well, I'd love to, really I would. But I have to finish packing up my flat tonight. My lease is up tomorrow and I need to be out by midnight."

"You're moving?" He asked, letting my hand drop.

"I am. I've already turned in my change of address form to Accounting and Marlene spread it all over the office. I'm surprised you haven't heard yet." I moved to exit the cubicle when my phone rang.

I quickly walked over and picked it up, thankful from the distraction. "I'll see you two later," I called sitting back down and grabbing a pen.

"Hello, Krista Thomas speaking," I said, answering the phone.

"_Hello love."_ I love how he says that!

"Why good afternoon! What can I do for you today?" I tried to disguise the caller, hoping to get rid of Michael and Liz. It worked because they waved and walked away.

"_A bit impersonal, aren't we?" _His voice had a tone of laughter, and I knew he wasn't upset.

"I was waiting for my co-workers to leave. Michael is beginning to creep me out and I'm trying to avoid him. So what did you need?"

"_Well, I was wondering what time you wanted me to come by tonight to help you finish moving?"_

I tapped my chin. "Umm, how about seven? That should give me enough time to finish packing and be ready for you. There are only a few boxes left, and that's mainly from my kitchen." I packed up my bag with the things I'd need for the weekend.

"_That's fine. James and I are hitting the pub for a bit of relaxation, but we'll be over after that. I've conned him into helping us." _He laughed and I joined in, picturing James arguing with him. It was a funny idea.

"So I'll see you then. Bye."

"_Bye,"_ he replied and I hung up the phone.

After grabbing my purse from the filing cabinet, I clicked off the desk lamp and made my way out to the parking lot. I waved to Liz on my way out and she waved back, distracted by the obvious error message she was getting from the copier. She slapped at the side and I couldn't hold back my laugh as I walked out the door.

I tried to drive home quickly so I could get started, but ended up getting caught in traffic. Considering that I left around 4:30, by the time I reached my doorstep, it was nearly six.

I left my bag in the back seat and went to my room to change. All that was left was my mattress, a few boxes and my suitcase. I pulled out my favourite jeans and my old painting tee and changed out of my work clothes. The blouse and pants I was wearing were thrown unceremoniously into the suitcase to be washed later.

Downstairs, the only things left to be packed were in the kitchen, so that was where I started. I threw pots and pans into boxes, bagged my silverware and wrapped cups in newspaper.

I sang along to the radio and grinned when the weatherman said we would have snow over the weekend. The kitchen didn't take long, and I sealed the last box with heavy packing tape, and marked it with a K for kitchen.

Something clicked behind me and I turned around to see what I had stepped on. A dark, heavy cloth was placed over my eyes and I screamed. "Shut up!" Someone exclaimed from behind me as they hit me in the stomach. "Don't scream or we'll kill you."

I swung my arms around, trying to hit whoever was near me, but I only ended up hitting the nearest wall. I heard a crack and pulled my hand back to me.

"PetrificusTotalus," a voice screamed and I felt myself go still. I tried to move my hands, to scream, to kick, but nothing would move and no sound would escape my lips.

My attacker laid me back on the floor and I felt him stand next to me. Pain shot through my left side as a foot kicked me. "You shouldn't be messing around with things you don't know! Your colleague learned that one fast, maybe we need to erase your memory and then you'll keep your nose out of this!"

I was kicked again and tears ran down my cheeks but I couldn't brush them away. "Look!" Another voice exclaimed. "She's crying! Think we're hurting her?" The voice laughed a cold, menacing laugh and fear rippled through me. They were going to kill me!

I wanted to beg, to plead with them to leave me alone. I'd do anything; say anything to get them to stop hurting me. "We won't kill you this time. But consider this a warning." Someone knelt next to me and slapped my cheek. "Don't even try to call the police. We've found you once, we will find you again. Don't meddle in magical affairs. You're a muggle and have no business associating with any of us. Even if he's a bloodtraitor."

A heavy shoe collided with my side again and I tried to scream. "Tell Sirius we'll be around." After another kick to my side, I heard another crack and suddenly I could move, but I didn't want to. It hurt to breathe, to move even. My right hand throbbed from where I hit the wall, but that wasn't the worst. My side ached and I could feel a bruise already forming. It felt like I had been run over by a semi-truck and left in a dumpster. I slowly moved my left hand, tried to remove the cloth and wipe away the tears from my cheeks. When I pulled my hand away, it was covered in a sticky, red substance. I was bleeding.

Someone knocked on my door and my eyes caught the clock. It was just after seven. "Krista? Kris, are you home?" They knocked again and I cried out.

"Help," I tried to yell. "Help me Sirius." My voice sounded weak even to my own ears and I doubted he had heard me.

I fell backward, hitting my head again on the tile floor. "Alohomora," I heard whispered and the front door flew open.

I caught sight of Sirius walk in out of the corner of my eye. He raced to my side. "Oh Merlin. James! James, get in here and help me!" Kneeling down, he pulled me gently into his lap. I turned my face as slowly as I could and buried it in his shoulder.

More footsteps in the hallway. "What happened? Is she bleeding?"

"What happened?" Sirius asked, his voice low. His hand stroked my hair as I sobbed into his chest.

"I don't know," I whispered. "I think it was two people, it might have been more." I felt another hand on my back, rubbing circles.

"Think hard Krista," James said and I tried.

I lifted my head off his chest and he looked into my eyes. My head hurt and my right eye felt swollen. "I… I was packing up the rest of the kitchen and I heard this cracking sound from behind me." I struggled to recall what happened when I turned around. Did I see someone, or just get blindfolded? "Something was placed across my eyes and I couldn't see. Then, I was kicked a couple times and someone slapped me."

"Where they males or females?" Sirius asked, still looking deep into my eyes.

"Definitely male. One voice sounded familiar, but I can't be sure. Everything happened so fast." The tears welled in my eyes again and I looked away from the guys, keeping my eyes fixed in the floor.

"Prongs, why don't you go and get Lily, she's always been much better at Healing spells than we are." James squeezed my hand and I heard a crack that caused me to jump in the air.

"That's the sound I heard!" I exclaimed, glancing up at Sirius quickly.

"Shh. It's okay love. That was the sound of someone apparating. Err, vanishing and reappearing almost immediately. Only wizards and witches can do it." His eyebrows furrowed and I couldn't understand what was… oh.

Suddenly it all made sense. "They called you a bloodtraitor," I whispered, looking away from his face.

I felt him wince and he kissed my forehead gently. "Don't worry Krista. I'm going to keep you safe." He gently wiped away my tears with his thumb, careful to avoid the swelling of my right eye.

He held me close to his chest and rocked me back and forth. Whether this was to comfort me or him, I wasn't sure.

I heard another crack and felt a soft hand on my shoulder. "Krista?" Lily's sweet voice shook me from my thoughts and I turned to look at her. I was embarrassed; my face was swollen, blotchy and bleeding.

"I'm going to try and heal you okay, without having to take you to a hospital." I kept my eyes on the floor, trying to avoid meeting anyone's eyes. Sirius squeezed my shoulder lightly and James rubbed my leg. "Now tell me exactly what hurts."

"My right side, my right hand and my right eye," I said as I tried to smile unsuccessfully. "Basically my entire right side."

Lily's soft voice murmured a few words I couldn't understand and suddenly the swelling went down in my eye and I could see clearly. My hand stopped aching and I stretched my fingers out, hearing a small pop as my bones cracked.

When I looked up, Sirius was smiling, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. James was holding tight to Lily and she was smiling a full smile. "Do you feel better?"

I nodded and spoke softly, "yes, thank you."

"Now try not to get hurt any more okay?" She laughed and pulled me gently to her for a hug.

"Thank you so much Lily," I whispered before we separated. "I don't know how I would have explained it."

Sirius helped me up and I clung to his side, terrified to be alone. "Still up for helping us move her Prongs?"

James laughed. "After that? How can I say no?"

Sirius forced me to sit in a chair and watch as they packed up the remainder of my kitchen. The boys went up to my room and collected my boxes and mattress. I looked around, but couldn't find them anywhere. "Where did they go?" I asked eventually after seeing them come down the stairs empty handed again.

James reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pile of tiny objects. "We shrunk them. Don't worry; we'll expand them when we get to Padfoot's place." He grinned and slapped Sirius on his back.

"Well love, I believe that's everything. Did you want to look around?" He knelt in front of me and took my hands.

Looking down into his eyes, all my fear vanished. "No, I just want to get out of here. I don't ever want to come back."

Sirius took my hands tightly and helped me stand. He turned to James and Lily, "we'll meet you there. I'm going to drive Krista's car over."

James nodded and the couple vanished with a loud crack. I jumped again, and wondered if I would be forever terrified by that sound. "Come on, let's drop off your keys and get out of here."

I made one last look around. How could I be this calm after being attacked and nearly killed? Did Lily do something to me when she was healing me? Cast a spell or something to keep me from breaking down? Could wizards do that?

After walking out and slamming the front door, I locked it and turned to face Sirius. "Let's get out of here. I don't ever want to come back here."

Sirius opened the door for me and I slide carefully into the seat. My side was still sore, so I'd been trying to move as little as possible. I could breath easily, that was the important thing.

"Thank you," I whispered after we had dropped off the keys and driven away. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did. They vanished right before you knocked."

He was silent for a few minutes. "They knew I was going to be there. How else would they know to leave when they did?"

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**AN: Exciting chapter! :-) This has been one of my favourite ones to write :-D Any comments? Any at all?**

**Thanks to the people who reviewed! I wrote this during my planning period today and edited it tonight, but I had to put it up. I was so excited :-) Thanks so much!! And please leave a review on your way out to let me know your thoughts!**

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**Love**

**Muzical (your devoted author)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Four days later, I was finally unpacked in Sirius' flat… our flat. Most of my furniture went into storage to be brought out at another time, or even sold. My small lingerie chest was squeezed into a corner; I filled it with my unmentionables, leaving a space for my old journal, and the new one Sirius had given me for my birthday.

I still had a few pains from the attack; my side was an ugly purple and black colour from a large bruise and my eye twitched at random intervals. I was terrified to be alone. Every small sound, every shadow caused me to spin around terrified. Whenever Sirius caught me, he'd move quickly to my side and hold me close, kissing my hair.

He had driven me to work today, my first day back since the attack. I had piled the make-up on, trying to hide the purple that surrounded my eye. When I was finished, it merely looked like I hadn't gotten a full night's sleep… for the past four months.

I hid in my cubicle for most of the day, only vacating my safe place for lunch and to use the restroom. Everyone left me alone for the most part. Liz came to see me early in the morning to see how the move went and Michael dropped off a new obituary.

"What happened to your eye?" He asked, stopping at the entrance.

"Oh, um nothing. I just haven't gotten much sleep lately. You know, trying to organize my things and the stress from this place doesn't help." I shrugged it off and went back to my work, peeking up after a minute to see if he was still there.

"That looks like you've been hit. That guy you moved in with didn't hurt you, did he?" He stared at me with this angry look on his face. I was touched for a moment by his concern, not realising he cared. But then my demeanour changed.

"No, actually he didn't," I responded coolly. "I don't know why you would jump to that conclusion, Michael. You don't even know him." I pointedly looked down at my desk and began working again, making sure he knew I was finished talking to him.

"Neither do you," I heard him whisper as he left. I heard footsteps down the hall a few minutes later and looked up, finding him gone. I sighed and leaned back in my desk. My fingers fiddled with papers and twirled around a pencil as my mind wandered back and forth. How dare he accuse Sirius of hurting me! It was unfathomable!

My heart jumped as the phone rang, shaking me out of my reverie. "Hello, Krista Thomas speaking," I answered.

"_Krista? It's Lily. I hope you don't mind my calling you at work, Sirius gave me the number."_

"Hi Lily! No, not at all. I'm not busy at the moment. What can I do for you?" My face turned up into a smile as her voice distracted me from my momentary depression.

"_Well, Dorcas and I were wondering if you would accompany us Holiday shopping tonight? I still haven't gotten James' gift and we only get closer and closer!"_

"I would love to!" I said happily. I could barely control my excitement.

"_Great! I'll come by and pick you up after work. Is three o'clock all right?"_I could hear her excitement over the phone and grinned myself.

"Of course! I'll just call Sirius and let him know…"

"_Don't even worry about it. It's already taken care of. You __just be outside your office at three o'clock and Dorcas will be with me."_

I grinned. "Terrific. I'll be there. Thanks Lil'." We said our good-byes and I hung up the phone, much happier than I had been before Lily had called.

The time dragged by, slower and slower. Every few minutes I'd glance at the clock, hoping that it was later than it was. Minutes dragged by until finally it was two fifty-five and I shut my notebooks. My desk was cleared off in a flash and within the next two minutes, I was outside waiting for Lily's car, at least, I hoped she was driving a car.

Promptly at three o'clock, a car pulled into the parking lot and Lily waved out the driver's window. "Hop in!" She called, gesturing towards the back seat.

After I climbed in and shut the door, Dorcas turned around to face. "I'm Dorcas; we met at the Halloween party." She said, reaching her hand out to shake mine.

"I remember." I shook her hand and sat back in the seat, watching the scenery fly past. We headed out to an area I had often been in London, very close to downtown. Lily parked the car and we all climbed out.

Lily took my hand and all together, we walked towards a small building, which I swear hadn't been there until now. The sign outside read _The Leaky Cauldron_. We walked through the door and I glanced around. It was brightly lit by candles and small cauldrons full of flames. Behind the bar was a young woman and she greeted us warmly.

"Hullo! Lily I didn' 'pect to see ya so soon!" She moved quickly and gave Lily a tight hug, causing her to drop my hand.

"Dorcas and I are taking our friend holiday shopping. We're all at a loss for what to get our men." Lily said with a grin.

"Except me," Dorcas said laughing. "I don't have a man to get anything!"

The woman laughed with Dorcas and Lily while I stood by, so out of place. "Oh," Lily said, turning towards me. "This is Deborah. She was two years ahead of us in school. Deborah, this is Krista, Sirius' girlfriend."

I shook Deborah's hand awkwardly and stepped back, watching Lily and Dorcas interact with her. After a few more minutes, they said their goodbyes and we walked out a back door to a bricked in alleyway.

"Um, where are we going?" I asked, unable to keep the confusion from my voice. The only things in the alleyway were bricks, and a dumpster. There was no entrance to a street.

Lily and Dorcas laughed, making me feel silly. "Don't worry," Lily said, taking out a long, thin stick. I quickly realized it was her wand. She tapped a few of the bricks with it, and before my eyes, they sunk into the wall and soon, I was staring down a long street filled with shops.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Dorcas said as she linked her arm in mine. "This is the best place to find Christmas gifts."

The alley was beyond my imagination. There was a shop for animals, one that seemed to sell spices and things of that nature, one for books, one called Quality Quidditch Supplies. I wasn't sure what the last one sold. I had never heard of a thing called Quidditch, whatever it might be.

Lily dragged us down the road to the Supplies store. I hate to say it, but I gawked at the window. There were broomsticks, literally broomsticks, in the window on display. "Broomsticks Lily?" I asked softly after we walked inside.

"You mean he's never taken you on his broomstick?" I chuckled softly to myself at the unwanted innuendo but managed to shake my head.

"No. I didn't even realise…" I trailed off, stopping before I made myself look like more of an idiot than I already was.

"What's Quidditch?" I asked after a few minutes of looking through the store. In the store, there were gloves, pads, what looked like bathrobes on racks and shelves all over the walls.

Lily sighed. "It's sort of like football. There are three hoops and you have to get the ball through the hoops. The only problem is, it's played on brooms, several hundred feet in the air. James loves it. He was on our house team when we were in school. He even was captain our last year."

Dorcas giggled as a happy look came over Lily's face. "That was when Lily finally decided she'd stop hiding the fact she was in love with him. It took her seven years to admit it."

Lily slapped her arm and turned away, her face beet red. "No, he was an arrogant toe rag all through school, except that last year. He finally matured and I let him ask me. It wasn't that I was hiding I liked him, because I didn't." She walked off in a huff, leaving me to stare after her in confusion.

"She did like him," Dorcas said softly to me. "It just took her a long time to admit it to herself and everyone else." She said as we walked off after Lily.

We wandered around that store, then a few others, and I was still at a loss as to what I should get Sirius for Christmas.

"Have you not found anything you like?" Dorcas asked after we had left the animal shop. I didn't realise witches and wizards used owls for their mail. This was beginning to be an informative trip. I now knew a lot more than I had about the magical world.

"I just don't know what to get him," I replied. "We've only been together for two and a half months. I still don't know him all that well."

"It is difficult to buy something early in a relationship. But that's why you have us. We've known him forever." Lily said with a grin.

"Yes, forever," Dorcas added, in what sounded like an annoyed tone, but she was also grinning.

"Well, what should I get him?" I was confused, very confused. What if he didn't like what I got him? What if he had it already?

"Hmm," Lily started. She gazed up and down the street. Her eyes were looking over the different shops, her mind seeming to flick through possibilities. "I've got it. Come on." She took my arm and dragged me down the street, back in the direction we had come. When I glanced back, Dorcas was laughing behind us.

When we emerged from the shop, I had the perfect gift for him, well according to Lily and Dorcas. I was still extremely nervous that he wouldn't like it, but the girls assured me he would.

Lily and Dorcas drove me back to Sirius' house, well, our house. "Thanks so much for coming out with us," Lily said before I exited the car.

"Thank you for inviting me. I had a great time. And thank you for helping me with the Christmas gift. I never would have found anything myself." I was genuinely happy I had come out today. I felt like I might actually be considered a friend by Lily and maybe Dorcas too.

"Not a problem. Tell Padfoot James'll be by this afternoon. We'll see you later!"

"Who?" I asked as I climbed out of the car.

"Sirius. It's their nicknames from school. Being around James so much gets me calling them that. Have a nice afternoon!" Lily and Dorcas waved as they drove off.

Thankfully, Sirius wasn't home when I got back, so I could wrap his present in peace. I hid it under the bed, in an old plastic sweater box I had brought from my old flat. He never went through my things, so it would be safe there for the next two weeks.

"Krista, are you home?" I heard his voice from downstairs and quickly pushed the box back under the bed.

"Yes! I'm up here!" I leaned back on my feet and smiled as I met his eyes when he came up the stairs.

"So you are," he said with a laugh. I reached up a hand and he pulled me up and then in for a tight hug.

"Did you miss me or something?" I asked, smiling into his shoulder. He smelled like snow and coffee and I inhaled deeply, loving the scent.

"I did, very much. How was shopping with Lily? How many stores did she drag you in to?" He laughed and took my hand as we walked down the stairs. "I always hated shopping with her. But maybe that's because I'm a guy." He laughed and pulled me down onto his lap as he sat on the couch.

I curled up into his chest, completely relaxed and content. His hand ran up and down my back, tracing intricate patterns across my shoulder blades. "Why do they call you Padfoot?" I couldn't hold back the question, Lily had me intrigued.

His fingers stopped tracing and I stole a glance up to see his face. "Why do you ask?"

"Lily called you it today, and James said it the other day… after the incident. And I'm just curious." My voice shook and I wondered why I was so nervous. It wasn't that big of a deal, was it?

"It was our nicknames in school. No particular reason. Mine was Padfoot, James is Prongs, Remus is Moony and Peter is Wormtail. Well, his has a reason. He sort of looks like a rat if you look closely." Sirius laughed and I joined in half-heartedly. Strange, but it felt like he was lying to me. Why would he lie about this? Was their something else he wasn't telling me?

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**AN: I completely apologize for the LONG wait between updates. There is really no excuse. It would have been up yesterday I had company :-) Please leave a review on the way out! **

**Oh... and thank you to PurpleOrangeJuice who has reviewed EVERY chapter :-D And thanks to: AllenPitt, thewerewolfgal, xBLACKx, Kiyoka Kurosawa, Saffygirl, MusicismyMuse, and amrawo.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Why would he lie? Was he even lying? His reason just didn't seem plausible to me. There had to be a meaning behind the nicknames; why else would they be nicknames? Well, nicknames that sounded as strange as that. Padfoot? Prongs?

It was one of those afternoons where all you wanted to do was lie under a blanket and read while sipping some warm tea. Which is what I was doing; lying on the couch under my fleece blanket with a warm cup of wild-berry tea. The air was cold and it was supposed to snow later that night. Sirius was sitting at his desk, head buried deep in some papers and every now and then he'd sigh and shuffle his papers around his desk.

"How's James doing? Lily didn't talk much about him yesterday." I sat up from my lounged position on the couch. The house was so silent it was deafening.

Sirius barely looked up from his desk. "He's okay," he responded simply and went back to shuffling papers.

A bit sullen at his short response, I stood up and walked over to his side. "What are you doing?" I asked quietly, peering over his shoulder.

"They're papers for our organization. Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He smiled up at me, slightly reassuring my nerves. The problem was, the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Bending down, I lightly kissed his cheek. "All right, well I'll leave you alone." I slowly walked back to the couch and sat down again, feeling just as lonely as I had before I talked to him.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, causing me to jump slightly. "Could you get that love?" Sirius asked, without even looking up from his pile of papers.

I didn't say a word, just stood back up and walked to the door. I peered through the peephole and smiled when I saw who was there. "Hi Remus," I said, opening the door wide. "What brings you here today?" Finally, someone who would talk to me, maybe.

"Is Sirius home?" He asked gruffly. I stopped mid-step towards him. He didn't look right. His eyes were bloodshot and his voice was low.

"Yes, come on in. Are you okay?" I stepped aside and let him in. He nodded without speaking and walked in, brushing past me quietly. "Sirius, Remus is here. He needs to talk to you." I called as we walked back to the living room.

Sirius had turned around from the desk for the first time in over an hour. "Hey Moony. What brings you here?" When he met his good friend's eyes, he sucked in a deep breath. "What happened?" Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees.

I sat on the arm of the couch, off to the side, hoping they would forget I was there so I could hear what was going on. My gaze was fixed on the ground, avoiding their eyes. I didn't know Remus too well, but something was definitely wrong. The first only time I had seen him was James and Lily's Halloween Party. I had spoken to him on the phone a couple times when he was looking for Sirius, but other than that I had almost no contact with him.

"They got her," he whispered and I looked up to see tears streaming down his cheeks. "I went to get her for lunch, and they got her. The Mark was over her flat… she was lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. I… I couldn't move. I don't know how I got the Aurors. I don't remember flooing anyone or sending an owl. She's gone Padfoot. Gone." He collapsed to the floor in sobs, his chest heaving.

It was heartbreaking to see a grown man cry. I had seen Sirius cry once, and my Father had cried the day we buried my grandmamma. But neither had been like this. Remus was on the floor in a ball, his arms wrapped around his legs, the tears streaming down his cheeks, pooling on the floor below.

"They got who Moony. Who'd they get this time?" Sirius had quickly moved from his chair to the floor beside his friend. He was rubbing Remus' back with both hands and I found the scene awkward to watch.

"Dorcas," he whispered through the sobs.

My heart wrenched out of my chest. We had just gone shopping yesterday! I spent yesterday evening with her and Lily and now she's… gone?

"How could that happen?" I whispered, breaking my self-imposed vow of silence. My hand was at my throat and I was shaking. The only people I knew that had died were my grandparents and a great aunt. Since October, two months, I had an additional two people to add to the list, Marlene and Dorcas. Somewhere deep in my gut, I had the feeling that several more would be added to that list.

Sirius looked up and met my eyes for what felt like the first time all day. "Not now." He said softly, looking back down at Remus' rumpled form. "Could you get Moony a glass of water please Krista?"

I forced my legs to move, to slide off the couch and walk to the kitchen. My hands shook as I opened the cupboard and pulled out a glass. It took all I had to not drop the glass on the floor. After filling it halfway with cool tap water, I carefully walked back to the living room.

Sirius took the glass from me and handed it to his friend. I sat back on the couch and watched the scene before me. "She's gone," Remus whispered again between sobs.

I felt something wet stream down my cheek and reached my hand up. Pulling my fingers away, I realised I was crying. Dorcas was really gone. I just saw her yesterday. How could they deal with this all the time? Marlene was killed just last month and now Dorcas. Who would be next?

"I'm going to put him in the spare room, all right Krista?" I glanced up and realised Sirius was talking to me.

Nodding, I slide off the arm of the couch to the seat. I pulled the blanket over me and curled up tight. Sirius carried his friend up the stairs and left me alone on the couch.

"He's asleep," he said when he returned. "I should get a hold of James. He might not know yet. Will you be fine here if he wakes up?" Again, Sirius was avoiding my eyes. He looked everywhere except at me, the floor, walls, ceiling, bookcase.

"Yes. Is he going to be all right?" I forced myself to ask, knowing it was a stupid question. How could anyone be all right when they found their friend murdered?

"Eventually," he responded softly. "We all knew the consequences going in and accepted them. We all knew this could happen… or will happen to us." He paused for a moment then turned to face me. His usually sparkling grey eyes met mine. "Will you be all right?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I barely knew her," I managed to whisper.

"Yes, but you did know her. You just spent yesterday afternoon with her and Lily. We're used to this, as sad as that is. You're not."

"I should be fine." I sniffled and he smiled sadly. The next thing I knew, I was being pulled towards him. He held me tightly against his chest, rocking me gently as I cried. "How do you do this?"

"What?" He asked, kissing the top of my head.

"Be so calm about this? Your friend was just murdered." I wiped my eyes and looked up at him.

"I hide it well." He forced as smile and kissed my head again. "I'm not calm Krista. Not at all. I may appear that way on the outside, but…" he sighed again and rubbed my back. "I'll be back. I'm going to go tell James and Lily. They may be with me when I come back."

I nodded and sat up from his shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere." He leaned down and kissed my lips gently then walked away. Thirty seconds later, I heard a loud crack and I jumped what felt like three feet in the air. I would never get used to that sound.

Time passed slowly by as I waited for Sirius' return. Every few seconds, I'd glace over at the clock. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours. Finally, I heard another crack in the kitchen, followed by another two.

"Krista?" Sirius called from the kitchen. "Krista, would you come here please?"

I stood up from my perch on the couch, leaving the crumpled blanket in my stead. When I walked into the kitchen, James was leaning against the counter and he was holding Lily to his side. Sirius held out his hand and I slowly walked towards him. He pulled me in for a tight hug, holding me close to his chest.

"Has he woken up yet?" James asked, his voice low.

"No. He hasn't moved as far as I know. I haven't heard anything." My arms wrapped around Sirius' waist and I breathed deeply into his chest. After only a few short months, his scent was calming.

I felt Sirius' head nod and then he spoke. "Prongs and I are going to go and talk to him. Why don't you stay down here with Lily? We'll be back in a bit, all right love?" He tilted my chin so my eyes met his. His were slightly welled with tears, and my heart broke again.

"Sure," I said, hugging him tightly. "Do you want some tea Lily?" I didn't wait for her answer, but filled up the kettle and placed it on the burner.

"I can't believe she's gone," Lily said softly. "We were just out last night. I just talked to her this morning. We were supposed to have dinner tomorrow evening." Her voice broke and tears streamed down her cheeks.

I stood there, unsure of what to do. I'd never been good at comforting people. Sure, I could give someone a hug; say it was going to be okay. But is that what people really want to hear? I hated it. Nothing bothered me more than when someone repeatedly told me that everything was going to be fine. After Ian and I broke up, everyone said we would get through it. That everything was going to work out.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, wiping her eyes. "I can't break down, not right now."

The teakettle whistled and I poured the hot water into two cups. The teabags steeped and filled the kitchen with a warm smell. We took our cups to the living room and sat in silence, each letting our thoughts overtake our conscious.

"Moony's heading home," James said as the two men walked down the stairs. "Padfoot and I are going to take turns checking in on him. Are you ready to go Lil? We have to pick up Harry in a bit."

Lily stood up quickly and hugged James tightly. I felt left out. The three magical individuals embraced, leaving me to sit alone on the couch. "Would you mind apparating outside? Krista still jumps at the sound," I heard Sirius said softly and felt my heart swell. He must actually care about me, to ask them to leave outside.

They said their good-byes and Sirius came back to sit next to me on the couch. "What are Aurors? I heard Remus mention it this morning." I asked softly. The word had been bugging me all day.

Sirius sighed and leaned back. "They're wizard police. We go after evil, dark wizards."

One word in his sentence caught my attention. "What do you mean… we?" I paused. "Is that what you do? You've never told me."

Another sigh. "Yes, that is what James and I do. We're not very high up, seeing as we just started."

"May I ask another question?" I didn't want to push my luck with questions, but I was intrigued. He rarely talked about what he did; I always assumed he didn't want to get me too involved.

A smile spread slowly across his face. "Yes, you may."

"What does an Auror do exactly?"

The smile faded. "We perform raids on houses associated with the Dark Arts. We mainly try to catch Dark wizards and witches." He squeezed my shoulder tightly. "But it is nothing that you need to concern yourself with. Come on; let's find some dinner. I'm famished. I have to check in on Moony in a few minutes anyways."

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**AN: So that was chapter 17. I know, the timeline is off slightly. Dorcas and Marlene don't really die until 1981... but I didn't pay much attention to that before I started the story. Please excuse the inconsistencies. **

**Wow, 7 reviews for chapter 16! Thank you to: PurpleOrangeJuice, Saffygirl, HPC0ldplay, amrawo, thewerewolfgal, Kiyoka Kurasawa, LadyStrider17. And thank you to the 12 people who have this on their favourite list and 33 who have this on their alert list. You are all simply amazing! Please remember to leave a review on your way out!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Dorcas' death occupied my every thought for the next six days. I wasn't sure why, but I was so… distraught. I barely knew her, but the idea that I had just spent the day before her death with her disturbed me immensely. It affected me like nothing had before.

And Sirius, well it didn't seem to bother him at all that Dorcas was dead. He behaved exactly like normal and this bothered me enormously. Maybe she wasn't one of his good friends, but he still knew her. Lily and James knew her well enough as did Remus, to hang out with her outside of business. How could someone act like this after their friend died?

We had a small memorial service at James and Lily's house a few days after she was found. It was there that I learned what the 'Mark' was that Remus had mentioned that day at our flat. Apparently, after the 'evil guys' kill someone, they shine a special mark overtop of the house to let everyone know that someone was murdered. I couldn't figure out what it was; something like a snake I assumed from their conversations.

Why did I let myself get involved with this? I was always responsible and I never did thinks without thinking them over first. How did I let myself date and then move in with, this man I barely knew! I only found out six days ago what his job was!

"Are you all right?" Sirius asked, waving a hand in front of my face. He had a large grin across his face, obviously laughing at my lack of concentration. "You look deep in thought."

"Well I was until you distracted me," I replied shortly. His grin faltered slightly, visibly affected by my short tone. He pulled his hand back as if I had slapped it away.

"What's wrong Krista?" He tried to pull me close to him but I resisted. Why was I in such an awful mood? It wasn't 'that-time-of-the-month,' so what could be the reason?

"How can you sit there grinning like that?" I blurted out, not caring how rude I sounded.

He tilted his head to the side in the same way a dog does when trying to understand its owner. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you grinning like an idiot? We were just at the funeral the other day!" I stood up and moved to the other side of the room, keeping eye contact with him. Leaning against the back wall, I crossed my arms across my chest.

"She wouldn't want us to be this depressed. She'd want us to move on and cheer up." He paused and it looked like he was debating coming over to me. "Dorcas was never one to wallow in grief."

I stared. "You're joshing me. That doesn't seem like a good enough reason."

"What?" With every word he said, his tone got shorter and clipped. Apparently, now he was down to one-word sentences. His grin was long gone, replaced by a mix of a frown and a scowl.

"People are dying! Your friends are dying and you sit there grinning!" I yelled at him and my hands shook, in anger or frustration, I couldn't tell.

What a day this was turning out to be. First I mope around the house, not caring about work and now I insult him. This stress was really getting to me.

Now Sirius stood up and moved towards me. "I don't see how it's any business of yours if I smile or not. Everyone deals with their grief in different ways. You don't hear me yelling at you about your attitude these past few days."

"My attitude? What attitude?" He was right in front of me and I looked up into his now cold, grey eyes.

"You've done nothing but sulk around the house! You barely talk, and weren't very enthusiastic when Lily stopped by with Harry yesterday."

"Well maybe I'm rethinking this whole relationship." My hand flew to my mouth. Oh no, now I'd done it.

"What?" Sirius asked barely above a whisper. His jaw was slightly open and his eyes wide. He stared at me, and I quickly regretted saying what I said. After thinking about it for a moment, I didn't regret my sentence.

"I can't do this. I can't sit here and watch these people die. Maybe you can sit by and watch your friends die, but I can't. Why did you ever tell me about this? Everything's changed. I'm leaving and everything will go back to the way it was. My life will go back to normal." I rushed out of the living room, leaving him to stare after me.

Racing up the stairs, I pulled my suitcases out of the closet and began emptying the drawers. I didn't bother to fold anything, just threw the clothes in and pushed them down, trying to zip it shut. I'd come back for my other belongings and furniture at another time. Where would I go? Mum would let me live with them, but did I want to go back to my parent's house?

"Do you really believe everything will go back to normal if you leave?" Sirius asked softly. I didn't look up, but I knew he was leaning against the doorframe.

"I want to," I whispered. "I want to believe that if I walk out, I will gradually forget everything I've learned." The tears welled up in my eyes and I forcefully tried to blink them away.

"Do you want to forget everything? Do you want to forget Dorcas? Forget Lily, James and Harry? Forget Remus and Peter? Do you want to forget me?" His voice broke on the last sentence and I could hear the pain in his voice.

Against my will, I glanced up at him. He wasn't standing the way he always did, straight and sure of himself. He was hunched over, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes weren't bright and sparkling like they always were, they were dull and lifeless. They glistened, from sadness or anger I wasn't sure.

"I can't do this," I said again. "You might be able to go on without thinking about her, but I can't."

"No one said we don't think about her. She has been on my mind for the past six days. That's all I've been able to think about. Maybe if we'd put more protective spells on her flat. Maybe if she'd stayed with Lily that night. Maybe if Remus had stayed with her. There are thousands of maybes running through my head."

I stopped shoving clothes and turned towards him. "Then why are you acting like you are? It's like you don't even care."

He held out an arm, but then pulled it back, running his fingers through his hair. "I've never been good with this. I don't deal well with emotions, never have. I suppose it's because of my relationship with my parents, but… Laughing has always been a means of coping. When I feel upset, down or angry, I laugh.

"I've had to watch so many of my friends die. And there are so many others that I didn't have to watch die, but found them afterward. You only know of Dorcas and Marlene, but it's started before that: Edgar Bones and his family; Justin Folsom and his wife; Chris Fletcher; Amanda Marshall. And I'll have to watch many more die before this war is over." Sirius fidgeted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable talking about it, but I couldn't help but press him for more information.

"Why do you do it?" I whispered, hoping I hadn't overstepped my boundaries.

"What? Be an Auror? Working in the magical world?" When I nodded, he continued. "Why are you a journalist? Why is anyone what they are?" He sighed, slowly walked into the bedroom, and sat down on the bed amidst my piles of clothes.

"I can't do this," I said for what felt like the tenth time. "I can't just keep watching people die. In the past two months, two people I've know have died. What happens if it's Lily next? Or James? Or you?" My voice cracked and the tears broke through my furious blinking. "I can't wait around to watch you die."

"Everyone dies Krista," Sirius said, his voice low. "Everyone dies." His grey eyes met mine and I could see the pain I was causing him.

"Not when they're twenty-two," I argued, knowing how stupid my statement sounded.

"I might walk out and get hit by a bus this afternoon. Or someone might mug me in the park. You could have been killed that night you were attacked. What would you have had me done then? Would you want me to sit around and be upset, or would you like me to behave like normal? It's not that I don't think about her, she's all I think about. I just can't bring myself to be depressed all the time. It's not who I am." He paused and took a deep breath. "And if you can't deal with that, maybe you should go. Maybe we aren't good for each other like I thought we were." He stood up and walked slowly out of the room, leaving me to stare after him.

I collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down my cheeks. A loud sob escaped my chest and I struggled to control myself. _Don't cry now_, I thought. _Cry later when he's not around to find you._

Struggling to stand upright, I pulled more clothes out of the drawers and shoved them into the suitcase. This time, my heart wasn't into it. I didn't want to leave and I really did care about him. But was I able to apologize now?

I think I messed up this time. Was it possible to apologize to him now? After he told me I should leave.

The clothes in my hands dropped to the bed as I walked slowly out of the room. I walked quietly down the stairs and into the living room where he was seated on the couch.

"Do you know how difficult it is to live with you, when you don't tell me what's going on? Especially when you lie or leave out information?" I took a deep breath and tried to hold my ground. "I try to ask you a question, and you avoid answering. Or, it takes something major happening to cause you to tell me. You never told me what you did until Dorcas was murdered. Isn't that something important? Shouldn't I know what my boyfriend does for a living?"

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but I raised my hand. "Let me get this out. I really care about you. I do. But if you're going to lie to me, or leave out important information, I don't think I can stay here." I paused, waiting to hear a response, if any.

He stared at me, his lips moving, but no sound emerging. After coughing and clearing his throat a few times, he managed to speak. "I can't tell you everything. There are things you shouldn't know."

"But there are things I probably should know, but you won't tell me," I challenged him.

"You don't understand," he started. I was so tired of hearing that. Every time I asked a question, the response was that 'I didn't understand.'

"Because you won't tell me," I countered.

"You can't. I can't tell you Krista," he pleaded with me. "If you know too much they'll hurt you." He had leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"You keep telling me that!" I stomped my foot to accentuate my point. Yes, I was being very immature.

"Because it's true!" Sirius stood up and walked towards me, his legs taking unusually long strides. "It's your turn to listen to me. I love you. You are the first woman I've ever loved, the first person I've loved aside from James. It would kill me if something were to happen to you.

"I promise, I'll try to tell you more, but only when you need to know. Yes, I'll admit, it was a bit bad that I never told you what my job was. And there are some things that I probably should tell you and I promise I will."

"Can you forgive me for being overdramatic?" I sighed. I might not love him, but I did care about him immensely and I couldn't lose him just yet.

"As long as you forgive me for being so secretive." His face had regained its smirk and his eyes sparkled again.

"I think I can do that," I said softly as my chin lifted slightly. He leaned in and kissed me gently.

* * *

**AN: Grr, these chapters keep getting shorter... So anywho, that's chapter 18. I'm not overly fond of it, but it will do. With a show of hands, how many people thought Krista was going to leave? *raises hand* Stories always take a life of their own :-)**

**Review thank yous: Snuffles-sweetie, the_werewolf_gal, fluffy kitten and alley Cat, PurpleOrangeJuice, ISolemnlySwear54, Saffygirl, and Allen Pitt. **

**Please leave a review on your way out! Lots of love!**


	19. Chapter 19

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Chapter 19

"Hi! Come on in!" I stepped aside and let Remus enter. He smiled as he walked through the door and handed me a small tray.

"I hope you don't mind, I stopped by the store and picked up some Christmas cookies. I didn't want to come empty handed." His eyes focused on the floor and avoided mine, which I noticed he did quite often.

My smiled widened when I realised what was on the plate. "I love these cookies. You are officially my favourite of all Sirius' friends." I hugged him with one arm and went to the kitchen to unwrap and plate the delicious cookies. "Sirius is in through here."

"Moony! You're here! Join the party with me and Peter!" Sirius came swaggering in to the entryway, an open bottle of some wizard alcohol. I shook my head at the scene; Peter was seated in the corner of the couch, quiet as always.

"And you're drinking already," he replied dryly, but there was a smile on his face.

"It's Christmas Moony!" Sirius' arm wrapped around his friend's shoulders and forced the weary man to sway with him. "Come on and celebrate with us!"

I laughed and shook my head again as the doorbell rang again. After wiping my hands on my apron, I walked to the door and pulled it open.

"Happy Christmas!" James and Lily said in unison. Harry giggled from his place in the carrier and waved his chubby fist at me.

"Happy Christmas! Come on in. Remus and Peter are already here, and Sirius is already drinking." I stepped aside again and let the family enter. James headed straight for Sirius, Remus and Peter while Lily stayed back with me, the three of us hanging around in the kitchen.

"So are you all right? James said something about you two fighting the other day…" she trailed off, jiggling Harry up and down on her knee.

I knew this was coming. Sirius couldn't keep his mouth closed for anything, especially when he was talking to James. "Yes, we had a fight, but we're fine now. We got past our issues and we're fine."

She paused and I could see her mind working. "May I ask what you two fought about?"

I ran the idea over in my mind. Should I tell her? I opted for halfway. "We had an argument over," I paused, "Dorcas' death and my lack of knowledge of the magical world. But we've solved our issues. We're fine now." I smiled to show her I was telling the truth and was in fact fine.

"All right, as long as you say so. James gets worried about you two. I know, he doesn't seem the type, but he likes making sure Sirius is okay. And I think he really likes you, which is good because he normally doesn't like Sirius' lady friends."

I cocked my head to the side and stared at her quizzically, but she waved her hand. "I won't tell you. Let him tell you when he gets around to it." Harry giggled again from her lap and waved my finger back and forth. It was squeezed tightly between his fingers.

The doorbell ran again and I glanced back at it, confused. "Everyone's here, who could this be?" I extricated my finger from Harry's fist, and moved to the door. "Sirius did you invite anyone else?"

"No love. My best friends are here!" He waved the bottle back and forth giggling excitedly.

I laughed. Sirius wasn't really as drunk as he was pretending; he just over exaggerated it slightly. Although, the bottle was full when Peter had arrived thirty minutes before, and was not on the last few drops.

"Happy Christmas," I said as I pulled the door opened. Stepping back, my smile faded away. I was greeted by a tall man with long white hair and a long white beard pulled back in a holder. He dressed in dark lilac robes, similar to the ones I had seen Sirius leave in a few times.

"Happy Christmas. I presume this is Sirius Black's place of residence?" The man had a soft voice and sparkling eyes.

"Yes sir, please come in. I'll get Sirius." I stepped aside for the fourth time that evening and let the tall man inside. The man stood in the hallway and looked around, interested in the décor of the flat.

I walked past the kitchen and Lily gave me a strange look. I shrugged my shoulders and walked down to the living room where the men had assembled. "Sirius? Someone's here and I don't know him."

He looked up at me confused from his seat on the couch. "Who is it?"

"I didn't ask."

Sirius stood up from his seat on the couch and moved towards the entryway. "Professor Dumbledore! What a surprise! Please come in to the living room."

I stood off to the side and let the two walk past. Lily had come out of the kitchen with Harry and greeted the older man, as did James, Remus and Peter, though Peter stood off to the side. The group chatted animatedly, leaving me to look on, confused.

"Oh goodness, I apologize Krista. Sir, this is my girlfriend Krista. Krista, this is Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of the school we all attended." He held out his hand and I shook it politely. He certainly looked like a professor, the round spectacles added to the appearance.

"Please, call me Albus," he said as he shook my hand. His blue eyes sparkled and his lips were turned up into a smile. "Am I correct in assuming you are in fact a muggle?"

I glanced quickly over a Sirius, a bit confused by the Professor's forward question. He nodded at me and I smiled a small smile. "Yes sir. I am a muggle."

"Wonderful," he said with a smile. "You seem like a brilliant young woman. It is certainly time Sirius found a decent companion." I flashed a confused look at my boyfriend, but he shook his head. Turning back towards the older Professor, I filed Sirius' relationships into my 'ask him later' file. That mental file was growing larger and larger everyday.

After listening to their conversation for a few more minutes, I returned to the kitchen, stopping along the way to refill the punch bowl and to reorganize the trays of cookies and cakes. Once back to my secluded area, I sat on the stool and watched the small group interact. They laughed loudly and I grinned. I hadn't felt this happy in such a long time. Nothing could ruin this moment, not now.

A half hour later, the older Professor bid us farewell and left our small party. "Well that was certainly a surprise," Lily said when she returned to the kitchen to sit with me. "I didn't even realise he knew where Sirius lived."

"So he's the Headmaster of the school of magic?" I asked Lily after she had sat down. "He looks like a Professor, with the spectacles and all. Why would he come by here? You've been out of school for a few years now, haven't you?" I nonchalantly asked, handing her a glass of punch.

She coughed into her hand and glanced back at the guys in the other room. "Yes, well we still see him on a regular basis. The guys more so than me."

"Krista, Lily, come in here please," we heard James call from the other room. After sharing a confused look, we rose from our seats and walked into the living room together.

"What's going on?" Lily asked as she moved over to her husband.

"We would like to make a toast to our lost friends," Sirius said sombrely as he began handing out champagne flutes. Everyone took one and we gathered into a small circle. "To Gideon and Fabian Prewett, wonderful men and even better friends," Sirius said softly as he raised his glass.

"To Marlene McKinnon," said Peter.

"To Dorcas Meadowes," Remus added softly, his voice sounding husky.

"To everyone we've lost," Lily added and everyone raised their glasses.

"To this. We may have lost friends and family, but we are still here, together." James said as he took a sip of his champagne and everyone followed.

We stared around at each other, not wanting to be the first one to speak; at least that's what I was thinking. Finally, Sirius made a move to the corner. "Alright now, we've got our grab bag gifts to sort out." Sirius pulled the large red sack from the corner. "Now everyone brought two gifts and through them in here, yes?"

The group nodded and then glanced around, laughing. "All right then, I'll play Santa. Go on Lily, reach on in and pull out your gifts." Lily carefully reached her hand down into the large bag. She pulled out one box, then a second and Sirius moved on down the line: James, Peter, Remus and then me.

There were two gifts left in the box when he sat down. "Okay everyone, open your gifts!"

There was a collective sound of paper being ripped and tape being slit. I grinned at the packages in my hand. One was a box of 'Chocolate Frogs' and the other a picture of the group from Halloween. I stared at the sweet, gentle faces of Dorcas and Marlene and felt my eyes tear up. "Umm," I started. "I think someone else should have this picture. I must mean more to one of you."

I held up the frame with the grinning faces inside. "Why?" Remus asked. "You were there too. You knew them. It's the gift you picked." I looked up into his hazel eyes and saw them filled with tears.

"Okay," I said softly, still staring at the faces in the picture.

"Oh wow! It's one of those remit cars!" Sirius exclaimed and I glanced up and started laughing. He had ripped open the box and was trying to put in the batteries. I knew that gift would go over well.

"Also known as a remote control car Padfoot," Lily said through her laughter. She took the car from him and put the batteries in then handed it back.

Sirius giggled like a small child and began racing the thing around the room. "Okay, who bought that silly thing?" Lily asked.

Guiltily, I raised my hand. "I wasn't thinking, apparently."

"Apparently not! I'm just glad James didn't get it!"

"Wait a second that's not fair! Padfoot let me play with it!" Lily shook her head and Harry's hands reached for it as it flew past.

I shot a sympathetic look to Lily but she laughed. "That's okay, it's at your house, and you have to live with it." Maturely, I stuck my tongue out at her. We'd just have to see what I bought James for his birthday.

"Well, I should be going," Peter said as he stood up. I hadn't realised how awful his voice sounded. He spoke in such a high-pitched tone.

"Thank you for coming." I stood up and walked him to the door. "It was really great to see you."

"Yeah, nice to see you too. Bye everyone." He waved before walking out the door.

"Bye Peter. Bye Wormtail." They replied, but he was all ready gone.

"He's been acting a bit odd lately, hasn't he?" Lily asked, her eyes still on the closed front door.

"I heard he had a girlfriend," Remus said, taking a bite out of the cookie on his plate.

"Wormtail has a girlfriend? That's hard to believe." James tore his eyes away from the car to look up at his friend. "I guess it's about time though."

The party slowly wound down and Remus left a half an hour after Peter did. Lily helped me clear up the table and I placed the dishes in the sink to be washed later. "Thank you for having us over. I hardly get to talk to a girl. I've always been stuck with the guys, and they were extremely annoying in school."

"Well Lils, Harry's almost out. Are you ready to go?" James peeked his head into the kitchen. Harry was curled in his arms, already snoring.

"Yes. Let me grab my purse." She walked back into the living room to get her purse and collect their gifts.

"Thanks Krista, you did a great job with this. Usually, the parties are at our house because Lily was the only woman around to cook anything." He kissed my cheek and moved towards the door.

"I'll floo you tomorrow." Sirius said as we walked them to the door. "I still have to give you your gift."

"Sounds good my friend. We'll talk to you too later." Sirius and I hugged Lily and gave Harry a soft kiss on his forehead.

After the door shut, I collapsed against it, exhausted from the long day. "Are you all right love?" Sirius took my hand and gently massaged my palm, working the tension out of my finger joints.

"Yes, I'm just exhausted. I just want to change into my pyjamas and climb into bed." He kissed my fingertips and then, without warning, picked me up and began carrying me up the stairs.

"I think I can take care of the climbing into bed part." He unceremoniously dropped me onto the bed and I laughed as the blankets covered my head. "Look," he said softly, moving the covers aside to see my face. "It's after midnight. Happy Christmas Krista." He leaned in and kissed my lips gently.

"Happy Christmas Sirius."

* * *

**AN: I know, I updated pretty quickly. Next chapter is Christmas, so we finally get to see what Sirius bought her, and she bought Sirius! Anywho: NaNoWriMo starts Friday at midnight, so my time is going to be pretty occupied until Nov. 30th. The good news is: my project is the sequel to this story! So, yippee! So when I get blocked on that story, you will definitely get your updates here :-). Check my LJ if you want to see my progress:**

**lcviolin07 dot livejournal dot com**

**Thanks to: PurpleOrangeJuice, HpC0ldplay, the_werewolf_gal, Allen Pitt, Snuffles_sweetie, fluffy kitten and alley Cat, Saffygirl, and LadyStrider17 for your reviews! Everyone, leave one on the way out!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

I opened the journal to a clean page and began writing. It was early Christmas morning and I had woken up, unable to keep my eyes closed long enough to drift back to sleep. After reluctantly climbing out of the warm bed, I retrieved my journal from the lingerie chest and made my way down to the living room.

The blanket on the back of the couch covered me completely and kept me toasty while I tried to jot down anything I could remember about the previous night's activities. The Christmas party was wonderful and I believe everyone had a great time.

_We exchanged grab-bag style gifts. Sirius was the one that pulled the toy car I had bought. It kept him and James entertained for almost an hour while Lily and I looked on__, shaking our heads. Silly boys, easily amused by the simplest things._

_Remus put in a photo from the Halloween party at James and Lily's. It had everyone in it: James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Dorcas and Marlene. I pulled it from the bag and tried to protest and give it to someone else, but he wouldn't let me. I didn't think it was appropriate enough for me to keep a photo of their friends._

"What are you doing, love?" I heard Sirius' warm voice ask from in front of me.

I looked up and smiled at the sight before me. He had on his Christmas pyjamas, green and red striped with bells on the ankles. "It's hard to take you seriously wearing that." I sat up from my relaxed position on my stomach and gestured for him to sit down.

"Well dear, you always have to take me Sirius-ly," he chuckled at his sad, overused pun while I just shook my head. "It's a good thing you don't have to take me seriously today, isn't it?" He sat down and took my hand, gently pulling me towards him. I laid the journal on the couch and climbed into his lap, bringing the blanket with me. "So what were you doing?"

"Just writing in the journal you gave me. I'm trying to remember everything. Maybe I'll write a book on it one day, changing names of course." I grinned up at him, but he wasn't smiling.

"Don't do that. Writing a book about this wouldn't be the smartest idea." He kissed my nose and held me close. I felt his warm breath on my ear and smiled again. "I love you," he whispered in my ear and I shivered, but not from the cold.

I turned my face to look at his. I knew he loved me, it was one of those things you could feel, but I couldn't say it back. Not yet. I only nodded and kissed his cheek. One day I'd be able to say it to him.

"One day," he whispered. "Oh and by the way, Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas. Oh! Do you want your gift now, or later?" His eyes lit up and the small smile turned to a large grin.

"Now," he exclaimed, clapping his hands like a small schoolboy. His arms wrapped around my waist and he held me close to his side.

I laughed and shook my head. "You are such a five-year-old! All right, all right. Let me go and I'll go get it." I extracted my self from his arms and laughed. Christmas always gave me a giggly feeling and made me feel like a child again. Sirius had curled his legs underneath his fit frame and was still smiling his large grin.

After walking up the stairs and into the bedroom, I grinned at the haphazardly made bed. I had hidden his present underneath the mattress where I hoped he wouldn't find it. It was in the exact same place I had left it, so I knew he hadn't.

When I made it back to the living room, Sirius had shifted his position and now he was kneeling on the couch, his grey eyes bright and sparkling. "So, what'd ya get me? What'd ya get me?"

"Are we sure you _aren't_ a five-year old?" I hid the brightly wrapped package behind my back as I walked up to him.

I pulled it around from behind me and placed it on his lap. The grin was plastered to his face and he stared up at me.

"Sirius? Mate are you here?" We both looked up towards the front door, where James was slowly walking towards us. "Sirius, we have to go. I wouldn't call otherwise…" James trailed off, knowing he had interrupted something important.

I looked back and forth between the two men. Sirius had placed the small package back on my lap and stood up. "Give me two minutes to get dressed." He raced up the stairs and I heard the bathroom door shut behind him.

"What's going on?" I whispered to James. "Where are you going?"

James sighed. "I can't tell you Krista. We'll be back soon though. I had to leave Lily and Harry too."

Sirius came back down stairs and kissed my cheek. "We'll be back." He caught the look on my face and shook his head. "Then I can give you _your_ Christmas present."

He kissed my cheek again and forced a smile. "I love you."

I nodded, not bothering to brush the tear that fell down my cheek. "Be careful." I walked them to the door and watched as they vanished into a cloud of thin air.

"Why do you always have to leave?" I asked to myself softly.

Rather than staring longingly at the door all day, I got up and went to shower. That would at least keep my mind occupied for a few minutes. The water was hot and I spent extra time washing my hair and then shaving my legs. I might as well go all out, I had the time.

After my long, hot shower, I spent the morning and afternoon staring at the walls. Where had they gone? What happened? Why wouldn't they tell me? Were they all right?

The only logical explanation was that something had happened that involved the bad guys Sirius tried to stop. I couldn't think of any other reason James would willing leave his wife and son on Harry's first Christmas. Lily must be worried sick.

If they weren't back by five, I would give Lily a call and see if she needed any company. Our Christmas dinner was going to be a ham with all the fixings. We were going to have potatoes, beans, salad, bread and Chocolate Pie for dessert. The pie was made, it had been in the refrigerator since the night before, but I didn't want to start dinner until I knew he was going to be home.

Three o'clock came and went, and was slowly followed by four o'clock. At four thirty-five, I heard a loud noise from in the bedroom. I crept up the stairs with an old baseball bat of Alan's I had 'borrowed' when I moved out.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I found Sirius sitting quietly on the bed. "I figured you'd come investigate," he said softly. When his eyes met mine, I saw how red and bloodshot they were. He had been crying.

I dropped the bat and rushed over to his side, sitting on the bed next to him. "What happened? Where have you been?" I asked quickly, anxious to hear what the reason was that he had left.

Sirius dropped his head to his hands and I heard a soft sob escape his lips. "We had a raid on a Death Eater's house. It was a spur of the moment thing, otherwise James and I never would have gone, but they needed their best Aurors." He paused and looked up at me. "They were ready for us and we had to fight. That was definitely not in the plans. It was supposed to be in and out; get what we needed and go."

I slowly reached over and took his hand in mine, squeezing his fingers gently. "What happened?"

"We had seven people, including James and me. One of our girls, Sandy, got caught in the crossfire. She… she didn't listen when we told her to fall back. She…" he stopped, his sobs forcing him to cut his sentence off.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, unable to express how truly sorry I was. I hated when he came home like this: tears streaming, eyes bloodshot.

The gifts under the tree paled in comparison to the situation. "How about I start dinner, and you go take a shower?"

Sirius nodded and slowly got up off the couch. He made his way up stairs and I heard the bathroom door shut and the water turn on. I turned the oven on to heat up and filled two pots with water for the potatoes and beans.

The ham was already in the pan, so when the oven beeped, I pulled it out of the fridge and placed the pan in the oven. In a few hours, we would have our delicious Christmas dinner, even if neither of us was in the mood.

When Sirius came down the stairs, he was cleaned up, shaven and wearing a new pair of pyjamas. He sat on the couch; his legs curled under him, and stared off at the telly. His eyes were fixed on the flashing lights of the Christmas special that was on. I had missed the broadcast of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," so I put in my Beta copy. The grumpy, green Grinch tossed the Christmas ornaments into the bag, leaving the house bare.

"I love this cartoon," he said softly after I had walked into the room. "I never saw it until a few years ago, we never had a telly at home, too muggle. Mum wouldn't let us have anything that clearly resembled being muggle."

I nodded, not quite sure what to respond with. "We're going to have a late dinner, I hope you don't mind." I trailed off, unsure of how to act or what to say.

Sirius nodded, his eyes still fixed on the bright colours of the Christmas special. I sat gingerly on the couch, leaving extra space between us. After I got comfortable, Sirius shifted in position and rested his head on my lap. I delicately ran my hands through his hair, caressing his scalp and gently massaging as I went along. He sighed and squeezed my knee.

After a few minutes, he sat up, his eyes clear and a small smile on his face. "Do you want your Christmas present now, or after dinner?"

I was stunned, unsure of how to answer. "Well. Umm, how about you give it to me when you want?"

He nodded with a smile, and then got up from the couch. He meandered over to the tree and pulled a few wrapped packages from underneath. "It isn't much," he said, handing me the gifts.

I smiled up at him. "Anything you could give me is wonderful. I'm quite happy just having you here," I said softly, avoiding his eyes and looking down at the red and green wrappings. "Yours are right there, beside the telly."

Sirius picked the presents up from the floor and walked them towards the couch. He sat next to me and stared expectantly, waiting for me to open the first package. "Go ahead, you first."

I slid my finger underneath the gap in the wrapping, separating the tape from the paper. My family always fussed at me because I took such a long time opening presents. But to me, that was the most fun, the anticipation of seeing exactly what you were given.

The paper finally gave way from the box and I tossed in on the floor to be thrown away later. A black velvet case was now in my hand. I tossed him a curious look and slowly lifted the top. Inside was a beautiful gold necklace and matching gold earrings. My jaw dropped open and I shook my head. "You can't be serious," I said disbelievingly, regretting the words once they had been uttered.

"I'm always Sirius, love." Sirius flashed his famous grin.

"That pun is getting older than dirt you know." I closed the lid and placed the case next to me on the couch. "It's your turn to open one."

Sirius picked up the nearest package and recklessly ripped into the paper. I laughed as a flurry of blue and white snowflake paper went everywhere. His eyes stared down at the box in his hands and I couldn't be sure of his reaction. Was he happy? Or was he upset?

"It's wonderful," he whispered so low I barely heard him.

"Do you really like it? I wasn't sure what to get you." My voice trailed off with my uncertainty.

"I love it." In his hands, he held a thick, wooden box. I had had the box engraved with his name and the date. Inside was a small pile of pictures, taken at the Halloween Party and at other random points throughout the few months we'd been together.

"Thank you," he said as he turned to face me. "This is the best gift I've ever been given. And I truly mean that." He smiled and me and pressed his lips to my forehead. I smiled back at him and rested my head against his shoulder.

We spent the rest of the night cuddled on the couch, wrapped up in each others arms. Nothing could bother us; nothing could separate us for this one night. The ringer on the phone was turned off and the telly as well. We had candles lit on the mantle and tables while soft music played in the background.

"I love you," Sirius whispered into my hair.

I smiled, knowing he truly did. The smile disappeared as I wished that I could say those words back to him. "I know," I whispered just as softly.

* * *

**AN: Before you all through darts at me, I need to apologize. I am SO SORRY for taking 2mths to update. I do have an excuse. I participated in NaNoWriMo in November (I didn't win) and for the month of December I was piled with work and concerts and all that other jazz teachers have to deal with right before a big vacation. So without further delay, I'm going to try to update again Thursday or Friday. Again... SO SORRY!! Please forgive me!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Christmas was over before we knew it. We spent the night cuddled together on the couch, and then we moved to the bed. We kept the phone off the hook and the telly down low. I hadn't had such a relaxing evening in a long time.

Sirius didn't mention the events of the night, and I avoided them as well. There were things I wanted to know about the magical world, and some I didn't. This was one of those things I didn't want to know about.

Our New Years was uneventful. We spent the night with James, Lily and Harry at their home out in Godric's Hollow. I had my first kiss at midnight in many years (Ian had never been one for 'silly traditions'). James and Lily kissed as well, and it nearly became obscene. Sirius shook his head and made a few catcalls, causing me to blush and look in the opposite direction. When I glanced back, James gave him an obscene gesture and kissed Lily again softly. I couldn't help but think it must be nice to be so in love. Would I ever have that feeling?

I'm not sure if I'm in love with Sirius, or if this is just a short-lived fling. I'm leaning more towards the love, as this doesn't feel like a fling, but I can't be sure. I'm scared that if I do love him, he'll just leave me like Ian did and Adam before him. Granted, Adam and I were together back in year 11, but I still consider him my first love.

*~*~*

It was now January 8th, or at least it would be when I got out of bed. I had the blankets pulled over my head, blocking out all the light. Sirius was restless in the bed next to me, tossing and turning back and forth. I wanted to swat at him and tell him to quit moving around, but I couldn't summon the energy. I merely waited and waited for him to finish so that I could drift back to sleep.

It took an hour for him to stop tossing and turning. He finally settled into a sleeping position: curled on his left side, his right arm draped over my body. I sighed and moved closer to him, wrapping his arm tighter around me. With his arm around my waist, I finally drifted back to sleep.

Around seven-thirty, the phone rang and I shook my head, trying to clear the annoying ringing from my mind. I didn't make any movements to get up and soon I heard Sirius groan next to me. Within mere moments, he kicked the covers off his legs and stood up. The ringing stopped a few seconds later and I heard his deep voice answer the phone.

I pulled the covers tight around me and sighed, rolling back over onto my left side. Sirius' voice was low and I couldn't make out much of what he was saying. At times he sounded upset, but others his voice was fine.

My eyes closed and I dozed off, slipping back off to sleep. I didn't notice when he climbed back into bed; I didn't even notice when his arm wrapped around me and held me tight to his chest.

When my eyes opened again, the bright light was pouring through the windows, resting on my pillows in strangely shaped rectangles and circles. I smiled and turned over in the bed, gazing up at Sirius. He smiled when he saw my face, but the smile never quite reached his eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked, my smile turning downward.

He shook his head and kissed my forehead. "Go shower, I'll make some breakfast." His voice was soft, low and it sounded off. I watched as he walked out of the room, leaving me to stare at his retreating form.

I shook my head and threw the covers off, letting the cold air hit my bare feet. I shed my pyjamas and headed off to the bathroom to shower and warm myself up. The shampoo tingled my scalp and made my hair smell terrific.

Once I finished, I wrapped myself in my heavy, warm purple bathrobe and slipped my feet in to the matching purple slippers. It was cold outside and we had the chance for snow later in the day. I couldn't wait to spend the day curled up on the couch with a book, mug of hot chocolate and a blanket.

I walked down the stairs and into the living room where Sirius was sitting on the couch. His lips were pulled tight in a straight line and he was staring out the window at the flakes of snow that were already falling. I wasn't sure what was going on, but it had to have something to do with the phone call.

"What's going on?" I asked softly when I walked into the room, flipping on the light switch. "Why are you sitting here with no lights on?"

He turned in his seat to face me and gestured for me to sit with him on the couch. I opted for the armchair across from him. Sitting down, I waited patiently for him to start.

"Remus was the one who called this morning," he started. "It was kind of important."

I nodded, unsure of how to respond, of what to say. What could be so important that he had to tell me like this? Was he leaving? Going away forever? Did they have to…?

"I have to go away for a few days, maybe a week. Dumbledore needs Remus and me to go off and take care of a few things." He paused, gauging my reaction.

"You're leaving? No one else can do it. It has to be you?" I know, I was being selfish, but at the time I didn't care. All I wanted was for him to stay home with me, to enjoy the relaxing day with no interruptions.

Sirius sighed and moved his gaze back out the window. "Yes, it has to be me. Peter disappeared yesterday, Moony can't get a hold of him and James needs to be with Harry and Lily right now. Out of our group, I'm the only one left." He turned back to face me, a smile playing on his lips. "But when I get back, we'll enjoy a nice, relaxing evening."

His smile was contagious and without my wanting to, I found myself smiling back at him. "All right," I said softly, not really wanting him to go. You'll be careful though, right?"

"Of course, love. I'm always careful." He stood up and walked towards me, holding out his hands. I took them and he pulled me up and then close to him for a tight hug. "I'll be back soon. If you need anything, anything at all, call James and Lily. He'll be here in a flash. I've already asked him to check up on you a few times."

I nodded, not trusting my voice with speech. He was going again, and this time it seemed even more dangerous than the last few times.

His fingers came up and tiled my chin so that I was looking into his deep grey eyes. "I love you Krista. And I'll be back soon, I promise." He leaned down and gently kissed my lips once, then twice. I felt a sigh escape my lips and he laughed. "I'll be back before you even know I'm gone."

"I highly doubt that," I said softly with a smile. "Just be careful."

"I will." He kissed me again and released his hold around me. "Remember; call James or Lily if you need anything."

Nodding, I followed him to the door. "I love you," he said and with a wave, he was gone, disappeared into the morning snow with a loud, resounding _crack_.

I'm not sure how long I stayed at the door, letting the frigid cold air into the house. The snow piled up on the autos and on the sidewalks as I stood in the doorway. I eventually shook my head and shut the door, letting the warm air from the heater warm my toes and fingers.

What would I do? I didn't have any pressing deadlines I needed to finish nor anything else of importance I could do to occupy my time. He said he would be gone for maybe a week. What could I do for a week? Seven whole days!

Yes of course, I had to go to work, clean the house and cook for myself, but what would keep me occupied in the meantime, after all the chores were done and the articles written? What did I do before I met him? It seemed so long ago I could barely remember.

Days passed and I wandered around the house, trying to keep myself occupied. It was difficult enough knowing he was gone, but I knew what he was doing and that made it so much worse. He was gone, without James; gone to fight for the good guys and hurt the bad ones. I hated knowing that he could get hurt, or worse killed. What would happen to me if he was seriously injured? I knew all about the magical world and that was forbidden! I wasn't supposed to know anything and the way Sirius talked, I could get in trouble and have my memory erased.

It was lonely and quiet, two things I hated. I tried leaving the telly on to give the flat some background noise, but the only thing on at this time of day was the news. And personally, I didn't want to hear about the murders and deaths; not when Sirius' name could be on there at any moment.

I tried to write, tried to read, tried to do anything that would keep my attention occupied for more than ten minutes, but no success. My thoughts still managed to drift to him; to worry about his safety and Remus'.

*~*~*

Eight days had passed since he left and I was expecting him home at any moment. Somehow, I had managed to not drive myself loony with worry. A great accomplishment if I do say so myself.

A loud tapping at the back window shook me from my thoughts. Sitting on the sill was a dark brown owl, staring at me with its beady eyes. I cocked my head to the side and it tapped again, its beak hitting the window insistently. "All right, all right. I'll open it. What do you want anyways?"

When I reached the window, I saw a note tied to the owl's leg. Once the window was opened, the owl hopped in and stuck out its leg, showing me the note and telling me to take it, or so I thought. I gently untied the paper and it ruffled its feathers and hopped back out into the cold.

I pushed the window down, keeping the cold air outside and went back to my perch on the couch with the note. It was tied with a blue ribbon and had my name written on the front in Sirius' handwriting. My heart cheered at the sight and I quickly pulled the ribbon and untied it.

_Dearest Krista,_

_I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write. Moony and I have been lying low, trying to find out as much information as possible. Unfortunately, I won't be back for at least another week as we still have much to do._

_Don't worry, we're both fine and I can't wait to get back to you, to fall asleep with you in my arms and kiss you goodnight._

_I love you. Don't forget._

_Yours, _

_S._

I stared at his handwriting, thankful he was safe but distraught at the fact that he would be gone longer than anticipated. I missed him, so very much and couldn't wait to have him back here. Yes, James had dropped by a few times and Lily had called to make sure I was doing well, but I was still so incredibly lonely. I even entertained the thought of visiting my mother, which was always one of the furthest things from my mind.

He was safe, at the moment, and that was the important thing. Right now Sirius was okay, I would worry later.

Later, when my world fell apart, I wondered where he really was during those couple weeks. Was he really investigating with Remus? Or was he off doing things for the 'bad guys?' It's been nearly ten years, and I still don't know.

* * *

**AN: Wow. You probably got this in announcement in your inbox and went WHAT? I forced myself to sit down and write this chapter this morning while my students were away on a field trip. Not too bad if I say so myself :-D**

**I apologize for the EXTREME lack of updates, but I do have the next two chapters already written (have for quite a while) and they should be edited and posted really soon. Please leave a review on your way out letting me know you're still reading! Love you all!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Twenty days, and Sirius still had not come back. I did receive another owl from him with a letter attached telling me not to worry and that he'd be back soon. I was so curious; I wanted to know what he was doing. What could he be doing for that many days? Surely it was dangerous!

I was relaxing on my couch, trying to catch up on some reading when a loud knock came from the front door. No one was due to visit me. Sirius was still on the mission with Remus, and James and Lily were visiting her aunt and uncle.

Puzzled, I dog-eared my page and rose to get the door. Halfway there, the knocking grew faster and louder. "Krista! Are you home?" A voice hollered from the front step. I cocked my head to the side, confused as to why he of all people would be on my front step.

I pulled open the door and there stood James, drenched in rain. "What are…?" I started but he held up a hand.

"You need to come with me," he managed to say as he gasped for breath.

"Why?" What was he doing here, in the rain?

"It's Sirius," was all he said. My head snapped up from where my eyes had been fixed on the puddle of water at his feet.

That was all it took. I raced back to the living room, tripped over my 8-track case and nearly fell into the telly, grabbed my purse and met him back at the door. "Where are we going?"

James looked around, checking out the situation. "I only know of one safe and quick way to get to this hospital. You are going to have to take my arm tightly and not pull away, can you do that?" He spoke to me like I was a child, but I nodded and held on to his offered arm. "This is going to feel very weird, but don't let go of me, okay? Just close your eyes and keep thinking of Padfo... I mean Sirius."

My eyes were wide and I must have looked terrified because James chuckled softly. "It's all right; he's going to be fine. He's just unconscious and banged up a bit." His hand squeezed mine for a moment then he took a deep breath. "Remember, don't pull away."

I squeezed my eyes shut and held on to his arm for dear life. One minute, I was standing on the ground, rain dripping down my face and the next I felt myself being pulled. I couldn't breathe and felt myself begin to panic. Squeezing James' arm tightly, I kept my mind focused on Sirius. What happened? Was he really okay?

My sneakers hit solid ground and I took a deep breath, revelling in the clean, fresh air. "Okay Krista, you can open your eyes." When I did, we were no longer in front of my flat. Instead we were standing in front of an old dress shop, Purge and Dowse, Ltd. I knew where we were, almost. I'd driven past this area several times on my way to work.

"I thought we were going to a hos…" I started but James cut me off.

"Not now," he hissed. We stepped up to the window and James appeared to be talking to the mannequin in front of us. "James Potter and guest to visit Sirius Black." The mannequin moved and I blinked, unsure of what I just saw. "Come on," James whispered pulling me gently.

"What? Where are we going?" I realised I still had hold of his arm, so I kept my grasp tight.

"Through the window. Don't worry." James flashed a grin and I relaxed, slightly.

I shut my eyes and walked forward when he did. When I opened them, we were in a hospital. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I certainly didn't expect it to look exactly like a normal hospital.

I glanced to my right; there was a waiting room, and I gasped at what I found. People were covered in hair, a man missing his nose (it was held in his hand), a woman with her hand wrapped up and several other people, just as strange. James led me to the counter. "Yes, we're here to see Mr. Sirius Black?" He asked a pale woman at the counter. She glanced up with a bored expression on her face.

"Yes," she droned monotonously. "Sirius Black is on the fourth floor, room 438." Her head dropped back down, causing her brown hair to fall back into her face.

James turned back to me. "Are you ready?"

Taking a deep breath I glanced around once more. "No, but I really don't have too much of a choice." I looked up at him and forced a smile.

"Yes you do, I can bring you home and come back myself." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a nearby wall, waiting for me to make a decision.

I shook my head. "No, I need to do this." I couldn't let my nerves deny me seeing him. He was my boyfriend, and he was hurt. I had to see him.

Grinning, James took my hand and together we walked down to the elevator. When I stepped in, I glanced up at the noise above our heads. There was a fury of owls flying above my head and I glanced around afraid. What were owls doing in an elevator?

"They deliver messages," James whispered to me. "It's faster than walking."

I nodded, still afraid; not for myself, but for Sirius. I wasn't completely sure of his condition. But I trusted James for some odd reason, and he said Sirius would be fine. I had to hope he was right.

The elevator dinged and James gently pushed me out the door. He took my hand again and together we walked down the long, bright hallway. We stopped out side door #438. I stared at the white paint of the wall and dark brown of the door, trying to will my feet to move forward. If I looked closely enough, the lines in the wood formed shapes, words even.

"Come on Krista, he's unconscious right now, so don't worry about… oh." He took my hand and pulled me in for a hug. "He's going to be fine. This is the best hospital for our kind in the world."

I relaxed in his arms and let the tears fall. They poured down my cheeks and stained James' shirt. "I've never done well with hospitals. My grandmamma was in one before she died, I couldn't bear to walk in the door of her room. There were too many beeping machines and…" I trailed off, unable to continue. I tried to keep my sobs quiet, not wanting to disturb any other patients. James held me tight as I took deep breaths to calm myself.

"Shh. There are no beeping machines in there, I promise. You muggles have such strange ways. He looks just fine, maybe a bit discoloured from bruises, but otherwise fine." His fingers rubbed my back gently, helping me calm my breathing.

After a few more minutes of trying to collect myself, I wiped my eyes one final time and nodded to James. "Thank you," I said softly. "I think I'm ready."

He smiled a crooked smile and I realised how lovely his eyes were. They were the most beautiful colour hazel and if you looked close enough, even had flecks of yellow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Let's go in." James held tight to my hand as he held the door open. We stepped in side and I looked around. It looked nothing like the hospital rooms I was used to. There were plants on the windowsill and brightly coloured paint on the walls, so different from the drab white of our hospitals. And James was correct, there were no beeping machines; no machines at all actually.

Sirius was lying on the bed, covered in a white sheet and a standard blue hospital blanket. He looked peaceful, as if he was sleeping, which I suppose he was in a way. If I thought of it that way, I'd be fine. All I had to do was think of him as sleeping.

I stood in the doorway with James beside me for a few moments, trying to keep myself calm. I was known to overreact, especially in situations where someone I cared about was injured. One time, Alan fell out of our tree house, breaking his arm and I screamed. Mum came running to the rescue, but I still made it much worse than it was.

"Do you want me to leave you alone for a few minutes?" James asked quietly from my right.

The options weighed in my mind. He could stay, keeping me calm by his presence, or he could leave, letting me have some alone time with Sirius. "I think I might like some time alone with him, if you don't mind."

He nodded and a faint smile crossed his lips. "I understand. I'm going to get some tea and I'll be back in a bit. Would you like some?"

"Yes please. Oh, James?" I started as he turned to leave the room. "Can he hear me? If I were to talk to him? Would he hear me?" I asked quietly, not sure if I wanted to know the answer.

He sighed softly. "The Healers aren't sure. You could try. It can't hurt anything," he said with a smile. And then, he turned and left me alone in the brightly coloured hospital room, with the coma patient that was my boyfriend.

I took a deep breath and walked slowly to the bed. His chest rose and fell as he breathed and I couldn't help but think that even though he was bruised, he still looked so handsome.

The day passed slowly and I stayed in the room with him, leaving only to use the washroom or to stretch my legs. I sat by his bed, holding his hand tightly. He hadn't woken up yet, and I had been there for a full day. The Doctor, or Healer as he introduced himself, had been in twice already today and said Sirius should be waking up soon. James disappeared, returning now and then with a warm cup of tea or some sandwiches for me to eat.

"Please?" I whispered to Sirius' prostrate form. "Please wake up. I need you to laugh at me, to tell me I'm silly for worrying about you. James says you'll be fine; that you've been in worse scrapes than this, but I'm so worried!"

I squeezed his hand and rested my head next to him on the bed, trying to hide my tears. My fingers gently ran the length of his arm, up and down, back and forth. It was a little comforts that maybe he could feel me touching him, or hear me talking to him.

My head lifted off the bed and I looked longingly into his face. "Please," I whispered again. "Please wake up. I'm sorry I never said it before. I love you Sirius, I do. It took me almost losing you to realise it. How humorous is that?" I let the tears fall down my cheeks. I rested my head back on the bed next to his arm, my fingers continuing to run their pattern up and down his arm.

"I love you. I love you." I whispered over and over again. Tears pooled and formed a large wet spot on the blanket. I cried, holding tightly to his hand.

"You pick… best times… don't you." I heard a hoarse whisper from above my head. "Had I known… hospital… I would… injured sooner."

I snapped my head up quickly, finding Sirius' eyes open and his lips drawn up into a small smile. "Oh Sirius!" I exclaimed, holding his hand securely. I wrapped my arms around his shoulder and hugged him tightly.

"Easy…" he whispered. "I'm still a bit sore." His arm came up and rubbed my back gently. "Don't cry Kris. I'm fine." Every word he spoke brought his voice out clearer.

"I was so worried! I kept thinking over every awful thing I've said to you!" I placed a soft kiss on his chest where my head lay. "I should get James. He's going to want to see you." I tried to pull my head up but he pushed it back down with surprising force.

"No, you are going to stay right here for right now. Prongs'll come in on his own." He shifted over slightly in the bed and motioned for me to climb on next to him. "I don't bite, too hard." He chuckled softly at his own joke and I smiled for the first time in several days.

Taking great care not to jostle him, I moved slowly onto the bed. My arm wrapped around his chest and his wrapped around my shoulders. I let the tears continue to fall, but now they were happy tears. Sirius was alive, awake and fine. I loved him, and I told him so. I don't care if the whole world found out. I love Sirius Black.

* * *

**AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! I'm so glad you all are still interested in the fic! You're all fantastic! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!**

**Oh, btw: I'm sure you already know, but I do not own Sirius Black nor any of the other characters you recognize. **


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Two days later, I picked Sirius up from the hospital and drove him home. He sat with his hands clasped in his lap the entire ride; he hated my driving. 'Why couldn't I just take my bike?' He asked as we rounded the final turn.

'Because you're supposed to be staying still. You're still sore and shouldn't be moving too much, doctor's orders.' I pulled in to the drive, put the car in park and turned off the engine.

'All right now come on.' I was half supporting, half-carrying Sirius into the flat. He was still sore from the attack, but the doctor said he could come home, provided he stays motionless for as long as possible. The poor doctor had never met Sirius before… what a task to ask!

'Woman, I'm injured. Can't you give me a bit of leeway?' He remarked bitterly, limping up the drive. We were almost to the steps and I couldn't wait for him to see what was beyond the door. James had the brilliant idea to throw him a welcome home party and tie it in with Lily's birthday party. Her twenty-first birthday was today and she graciously agreed to share her day.

'Well you shouldn't have gotten yourself injured, should you?' I pinched his side and he yelped, highly amusing on my part.

'Easier said than done,' he mumbled and I couldn't hold back my laughter.

I shifted his weight on my shoulder and we walked the last few steps to the door. Reaching in front of us, I stuck the key in the lock, turned the doorknob and pushed it open. 'Surprise,' yelled four people and a baby – though Harry really just giggled.

'Wait just a minute,' Sirius exclaimed, dropping his arm from my shoulder and standing on his own. 'This is Lily's birthday. You shouldn't be having a party for me.'

'Oh Padfoot, you remembered?' Lily came up and hugged him tightly around the neck. 'I figured I could share my day with you. But I am expecting a really good present for doing so.' She kissed his cheek and stepped back to give me a hug. 'How awful was he in the ride over here?'

'Extremely. He wasn't overly fond of my driving.' I tossed my purse onto the kitchen table and headed to the kitchen to pull out the party trays. I had spent the previous evening fixing vegetable and cheese trays along with making punch.

'Did he suspect anything?' Remus came up behind me and took the tray from my hands, setting it on the table with the other one.

I shook my head with a smile. 'Not in the slightest. I mentioned James and Lily were stopping over so I could give her a gift, but that was it. What did his face look like? I couldn't see.'

'Definitely surprised.'

'Good.' I took Sirius a glass of water and the potion he was supposed to drink once a day for the next five days. 'Drink this and then you can chat.'

'Yes mum,' he said with a smirk. 'No wait, you're not my mum. You're much too nice.' After drinking the potion down to drops at the bottom, he handed me the glass and continued his conversation.

I turned to Peter sitting in the corner of the sofa quietly. 'Peter, can I get you anything?'

'No. No thanks. I'm good for right now.'

'All right, well let me know if you want anything.' I retreated to the kitchen and leaned against the counter to steady myself. What a month it had been! Between a rushed New Years, Sirius' mission and then his return in the hospital, I had had a busy time. Thank goodness it was almost over and things were back to normal.

I piled the dirty dishes in the sink and ran the water. I'd let him celebrate being home with his friends. He didn't have much time with them lately seeing as how he'd been gone for almost a month.

'Are you all right?' I turned and James stood behind me, leaning against the kitchen wall.

'Yes, I'm fine.' I said, turning back and fiddling with the dishrag and the hot, sudsy water.

'Why don't I believe you?' When I looked back at him, he had walked across the kitchen and was standing behind me. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing,' I said, tossing the dishrag into the water. 'Nothing is wrong. Sirius is back, safe and sound, you five are here, and it's a good day.'

James looked down at me, not convinced. 'Really, I'm fine. Go back and enjoy your wife's party.' I placed my hands on his shoulders and spun him around, giving him a gentle push back into the living room. 'Does anyone need anything?' I called, scanning the group.

'Krista, come and sit down! Dishes can wait until after we're all gone,' Lily called, waving me over to their group.

'All right, all right.' I wiped my hands off on a towel and grabbed a glass of punch from the table. Remus shifted over and I sat on the couch between him and Sirius.

I leaned into Sirius and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. Sighing contentedly, I looked around the room at my newfound friends. Remus looked pale, paler than usual and I wondered if he was sick. Peter was twitchy, but I had come to think of that as normal. He still acted nervous around me and I often wondered if he was this shy in school.

James and Lily were holding hands and seemingly as happy as can be. Harry was giggling from his place on the floor, babbling to himself and playing with his cars we had bought him for Christmas. I was content to be sitting here on the couch next to Sirius.

The group was talking about some raid or mission coming up, but I tuned them out. I didn't need or want to hear about it. I should feel happy that they were comfortable enough with me to talk about this when I was sitting right here. It made me feel welcome in their group, even though I was different.

Some thirty minutes later, I caught James' eye and smiled. I excused myself and went into the kitchen and to the fridge, where a homemade birthday cake was sitting. After lighting the candles, I slowly walked into the living room and started singing. Everyone else joined in as I placed the cake in front of Lily.

'You shouldn't have!' She exclaimed, her eyes wide and bright.

'Make a wish Lil',' James said, pulling Harry onto his lap so he wouldn't grab at the cake.

She thought for a moment and then got a sad smile on her face. In one breath, she blew out the candles and looked up at the group. 'All right, who wants cake? Krista, do you have a knife and plates?'

I jumped up from my seat on the couch and grabbed the knife, forks and plates from the kitchen. 'Anyone need a refill on anything? Peter, you still set?'

He seemed startled at being addressed and shook his head. Lily cut pieces of cake for everyone and I passed them around. We ate and drank tea while Lily opened her gifts: a journal from Remus, flowers from Harry and a necklace with earrings and bracelet from James, a bottle of wine from Peter and a few 8-tracks from Sirius and me.

We chatted for a little while longer before everyone started to disperse. It was nearly five o'clock and Harry hadn't had his nap. We kissed and hugged and I walked our friends to the door, Sirius thankfully stayed on the couch like the doctor ordered.

'Bye! We'll call soon!' James and Lily called before getting in their car.

'I'll stop by later in the week to make sure he hasn't driven you insane,' Remus said, as he kissed my cheek.

'Thank you. I expect I'll have lost my mind by Tuesday. Bye Remus, bye Peter.' I waved as they walked down the step, taking care to close the door before they apparated. I would never get used to that sound again. It would always be associated with my attack.

'Do you need anything?' I asked Sirius once everyone had gone. 'I'm going to do the dishes and clean up.'

'No, I'm set.' He was lying down with his eyes closed and I couldn't help but be thankful he was still here. I could have lost him and been alone again.

I cleared the living room of all the dishes, put the extras from the party trays in the refrigerator and washed everything. Once the kitchen and living room were cleared I leaned against the counter.

'Here's the mail love,' Sirius said walking back into the house.

'Sirius Black, what are you doing off the couch? You are supposed to be staying motionless as often as possible!' I pushed him back to the living room and sat him on the couch. 'Now lie down!'

'Do you know how difficult it is to sit still? I can't do this.' Sirius pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

I wagged my finger at him and grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch. 'You certainly can do this and you will. I won't have you back in the hospital because you overexerted yourself. Stay seated!' Covering him with the blanket, I kissed his forehead gently. 'Please?' I added softly.

He sighed and nodded. 'Fine. But turn the telly on; I can't sit here in silence.' I smiled to myself as I turned the telly on and handed him the remote.

I returned to the kitchen and looked through the mail. We had gotten a few catalogues and a letter from my cousin in New York. And then, at the bottom of the pile was my name, addressed in fancy calligraphy. Curious, I slid open the seal and pulled out another envelope. A wedding invitation. The paper slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor. I leaned against the countertop for support in disbelief.

'Kris? What's wrong?' Sirius' voice shook me from my trance.

I bent down, picked up the invitation, and brought it along with the envelope into the living room. Placing both in his lap, I sat on the opposite end of the couch and pulled my legs underneath me.

'What is this?' He asked, looking over the paper. '_You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Mr Ian Carlyle and Ms Rebecca Mathews…'_ he trailed off. 'Oh Kris.'

I turned towards him, my eyes glistening with tears. 'The bastard invited me to the wedding.'

'That's low,' he said softly. 'Come here.' He held out his arms and I crawled towards him, laying my head on his chest.

What arse would invite his former girlfriend to his wedding, especially when the arse was marrying his former girlfriend's best friend? Did he really expect me to go, or was this just a courtesy? Of maybe Rebecca sent it, hoping we could renew our friendship. I would rather stand face to face with a dragon.

'Hey,' he said, tenderly lifting my chin so that I met his eyes. 'We aren't going so don't worry about it. I love you.'

Through my tears, I smiled. 'I love you too.' I laid my head back down on his chest, feeling his heart beat through the thin tee shirt.

'Do you really?' His voice was soft and low.

I looked up quizzically and nodded. 'Of course I do. I wouldn't say it otherwise, you should know that.'

'True.' He kissed my forehead and I lay back down. I stuck my feet under the blanket and sighed, happy and content with how good I had it right now. Forget Ian and Rebecca. 'You know how you said you loved me two days ago?'

I smiled but kept my head down. 'Yes, I remember that moment quite well actually. You scared the living daylights out of me. What about it?'

'That was three months from when we started dating.'

'Really?' Now I looked up surprised. 'You're kidding me.'

'Nope, October 28th to January 28th.' He kissed my nose and smiled. 'I'm very happy you did.'

'Me too.'

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**AN: I'm sorry! I'm so sorry that it's taken *months* to update this. But here's this chapter, and the next one is already written so it'll be posted soon as well. Please leave a review and let me know if you're still reading... cause I hope you are!**

**Thanks so much!!! **


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Nearly a week had passed since Sirius came home and as I had said to Remus, by Tuesday I had lost my mind. Thankfully he was feeling better by then and wasn't confined to the couch. I returned to work and sat at my desk, trying to figure if I wanted to continue with this story, or give it up. The writer in me was excited to have this big a story, but everything else was telling me to quit. Losing my life (or my memory) wasn't worth keeping this story.

'Krista?' I looked up to find Michael staring down at me, a worried look on his face. 'Are you all right? I've called you a few times now.'

I shook my head and forced a smile I hoped was genuine. 'Yes, I guess I just zoned out. I haven't been getting much sleep lately.'

'Is your boyfriend still injured?' I had told the office Sirius was in a car wreck up in Scotland on a business trip I needed a reason to take time off from work and that was close to the truth (or not).

'He's doing much better now. His right arm is still sore, but other than that he's fine. He was lucky he wasn't killed.' Shuffling the papers on my desk, I avoided his eyes. 'What did you need?'

'Oh, I came to drop this off. They found that Fenwick guy, or what was left of him.' Michael dropped the police file on my desk and I stared down at it. 'Looks like animals got him or something.'

I was scared to open the file. Taking a deep breath, I opened it and saw pictures of Benjy Fenwick. All that remained of him was his right arm, a few pieces of torso and what appeared to be his left foot. 'Oh his poor wife!' I exclaimed, turning the pictures over and reading over the coroner's report.

'Did you want to get lunch or something?' Michael asked and I looked up at him surprised. His eyes were filled with hope and I exhaled slowly.

It was hard to keep turning him down, but one would think that after the tenth time he would get the picture. 'Sorry, I'm working through lunch so I can leave early. Mr Campbell wants me to check on Liz, she didn't show up to work this morning.'

'Oh, well good luck with that.' He turned and walked out of my office.

With a long sigh, I turned to my typewriter and began drafting an article for the next day's paper.

At 2:15, I gathered up my things, and brought my draft down to the editing department. They would fix any typos and misspelled words before sending it to the presses. I swung my purse on my shoulder and stopped in to see Mr Campbell before heading to Liz's.

'I'm going to check on Liz, Mr Campbell. Have a good evening!'

He looked up and I had to hold back my laughter. His glasses were lopsided on his nose and his hair rumpled. 'Yes, yes. See you tomorrow.'

I walked quickly out of the office, my keys in my hand, and down to the parking lot. I still got chills walking alone, but I knew it was just my imagination playing tricks on me. It wasn't like the lot was dark; on the contrary, it was bright and sunny.

When I reached my car, I climbed in, started it and went down the road. Liz lived towards me, so it wasn't too far out of my way to check on her. All I could figure was that she was sick and forgot to call the office. Or she did call, and they didn't inform Mr Campbell. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened.

'Well her car is still here,' I said to myself as I pulled up in front of her house. It was a single story house with a front porch. Her parents bought it for her, and she paid the mortgage and all utilities.

'Liz?' I called, walking up to the front door. 'Liz, are you home?' I pulled open the screen and knocked on the wooden door. 'Liz?'

I waited for ten minutes, knocking on the door every few. Stepping back, I peered into her window. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary so I knocked again and still no answer. Finally, I decided to try the doorknob. To my luck it was open.

I stepped inside and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place. The telly was off and the radio on softly, as if she'd been napping. 'Liz?' I called again. 'Liz, it's me Krista!' Still no answer.

Walking down the hall, I glanced in the kitchen and dining room. The makings of a sandwich were on the counter, the knife still in the butter dish. 'Liz?' I tried once again, my voice shaky now. 'Liz where are you?'

The bathroom was empty and that left her room, the last door in the hall. My hand was shaking as I reached for the knob and turned it. I kept thinking, over and over, that she was just sleeping. She had gotten dizzy while making herself a sandwich and went to lie down. That had to be the explanation.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped forward. It took a few moments for me to recognize that no one was there. I let out the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding and looked around the room. Her bed was made, a coffee cup on the bedside table and all her drawers were closed.

Confused, I walked back through the house, looking around and trying to see if anything was out of place that I hadn't noticed. I debated calling Sirius, but I wasn't sure what help he could give me. 'Liz, where are you?' I asked myself softly.

The only place I hadn't looked was the backyard, so I went through the kitchen and out the back door. And there she was, lying on the ground, her right leg twisted underneath her in an awkward position. 'Liz!' I raced down the steps, tripping on the last one and landing on my knees. Ignoring the shooting pain in my bruised kneecaps, I slowly walked to her and knelt down. Her green eyes were open, staring blankly into the clouds. I felt her neck for a pulse, but there wasn't one.

'What do I do?' I asked her lifeless body. 'Call the police.'

Jumping up again and nearly crippling under the sudden pain in my knee, I limped back inside and to the phone. I hastily dialled 999 and waited for the operator. '_Emergency_,' a woman's voice said and I felt my throat tighten.

'Yes, I… I just found my friend. I think she's dead,' I managed to say before the tears started streaming.

'_All right, I need you to stay calm. What is your name? And do you know the address?'_

'My name is Krista Thomas and um the address is 192 Maplewood Drive in Southwark." I kept my eyes focused on the wallpaper and tried not to look out into the backyard.

'_All right Ms Thomas, we have a car on the way. Do you need me to stay on the line with you?'_

'No, no thank you. They're on the way, right?' I wanted as little time alone with Liz's body as possible.

'_Yes ma'am.'_

'Thank you,' I said softly before I hung up the phone. I stood for a few minutes and listened for the police sirens. As I stood there, I silently decided to call Sirius, not knowing if he was home, or if he would answer the telephone.

'_Yes,' _he answered on the second ring.

'Sirius,' I said softly before the tears fell again. 'Liz…'

'_Where are you?'_

'Maplewood Drive, just a few streets down from your flat.'

'_I'll be there in a flash.' _The phone clicked and he hung up. The next thing I knew, police sirens were screaming down the street and Sirius appeared on the doorstep.

'Oh Sirius,' I said, collapsing into his arms. 'She's…' I couldn't finish my sentence.

'Krista Thomas?' One of the Bobbies asked once they met us on the front porch.

I nodded and pointed to the back of the house. 'She's… she's in the backyard.' I turned my face to Sirius' chest and felt his hands run through my hair.

'And you are you?'

'I'm Sirius Black, Krista's boyfriend. She called me after she got off the phone with the operator.' I hadn't told him that, but he was an investigator of sorts. He must have put two and two together.

The officer glanced towards the driveway and back again. 'How did you get here?'

'Motorbike,' he said, pointing towards the street. His bike was parked against the curb.

'Ms Thomas, can I ask you a few questions?'

I nodded and the three of us went into Liz's living room. The second officer had gone to the backyard. I sat next to Sirius on the couch, my hand clenched tightly in his while the officer sat across from us in a worn-out armchair. 'Why were you here Ms Thomas?'

"I work with Liz at the newspaper, the London Local. She didn't show up for work today, so our boss, Mark Campbell, asked me to drive out and check on her. I only live a few streets away.' I tried to close my eyes, but every time I did, I only saw Liz's lifeless stare. How could Sirius do this? How could he see people, dead like that?

'And you, Mr Black, do you know the deceased?' How awful it was to hear Liz referred to like that!

Sirius shook his head, 'Only in passing at Krista's work. I'm only here because of her.'

'Ma'am, have you touched the body at all?' The second officer had entered the room, depositing his walkie-talkie in the clip on his belt.

'I checked her for a pulse, but that was it. I knew I wasn't supposed to move her.' I looked up suddenly. 'I need to call my boss. I said I'd call once I checked on her.'

The two officers shared a look before speaking. 'We'll take care of that. You two are free to leave. Do you have a phone number, in case we need to reach you with more questions?'

When I didn't speak, Sirius told them our number and gently lifted me to my feet. 'Come on now, love.' He turned to the officers and I leaned against his chest, numb. 'Thank you.'

He helped me out the door and into the passenger seat of my car. 'We're going home and you're going to lie down.'

I nodded but didn't speak. I had just seen my friend dead, staring lifelessly at the sky. There didn't appear to be a mark on her, so how did she die? Unless there was something under her clothes, or she was poisoned. Poison wouldn't leave any visible marks on her skin.

When we arrived home, Sirius rounded the car and opened my door, picking me up and carrying me into the house. He gently laid me on the couch and tossed a light blanket over me before retreating to the kitchen. I still hadn't spoken and wasn't sure if I could without bursting into tears.

He came back a few minutes later with a steaming cup of tea and knelt down in front of me. 'Drink this,' he said softly. I wrapped my hands around the hot cup and took a sip, letting the hot drink warm my stomach.

'Thank you,' I said softly.

'For what?' He asked with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

'For coming over. I wouldn't have made it if you weren't there.'

Sirius took the cup back and placed it on the end table. Taking my hands in his, he smiled up at me. 'I will always be there for you. Any time you need me, I'll be there. I promise.' He kissed my hands and I nodded, unable to speak. 'Do you mind if I ask you a question though, about Liz? If you don't want to answer, you don't have to.'

I shut my eyes and nodded. When I opened them again, Sirius was staring at me. 'Was there any marks on her that you could see?'

'No,' I said softly. 'She was staring up at the sky, that's it. Do you think she was poisoned?'

'No, I think she was killed by a Death Eater.' He paused before meeting my eyes and explaining. 'There is a curse that can kill without showing any marks. It's banned, and if you're caught using it it's punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban, wizard prison,' he added when I looked at him confused.

'Is Azkaban bad? I mean, for a prison?'

Sirius visibly shuddered before answering. 'It is a place that most people would rather die a horrible death than stay there one night. Just know that in order to get sent there, you must have done something awful.'

'You think someone magical murdered her?' I was at a loss for words. Why would someone have killed Liz? She wasn't involved with anything like that… or was she?

'I do.' He paused and looked around. 'Do you mind if James comes here? I don't want to leave you here alone and I should really talk to him about this.'

I shook my head. 'Sure. I'm just going to lie here for a while.' I stared up at the ceiling, because I still couldn't close my eyes. Sirius disappeared for a little while, up the stairs if I heard correctly. When he returned, James was with him.

'You get in far too much trouble for a muggle,' he said when he saw me, but he was grinning. 'However you're certainly entertaining.'

I tried to smile, but I felt my lips barely turn upwards. 'Glad to keep you entertained,' I said softly before turning over to face the couch.

Liz was dead, gone. I'd never get to laugh with her over office gossip; never again have her conspire with Sirius. Never again would she bring me a cup of coffee and tell me to calm down. Never again would I see her.

I cried softly, trying not to disturb Sirius and James' conversation. The police would call her family, and they said they'd tell Mr Campbell as well. There was nothing for me to do.

'Krista,' Sirius whispered and I shook my head. 'You fell asleep. Let's get you up to bed, it's nearly eleven.'

'How did I manage to sleep?' I asked, my voice hoarse from crying.

Sirius smiled sheepishly. 'I might have put something in your tea to help you relax. You weren't going to sleep on your own.'

'Something magical,' I exclaimed, tossing the blanket off my legs.

'No," he said quickly, shaking his head. 'Just regular sleeping pills.' He held out a hand and pulled me up. 'Your mum called, I told her a basic idea of what happened, leaving out the death part. She said she'd call back tomorrow.'

'Thank you,' I said with a real smile.

'O' course. Now come on, up to bed you go.' He walked with me up the stairs and together we got into bed.

I snuggled close to him, resting my head on his chest. I listened to his heart thumping and felt his chest rise and fall as he breathed. 'You promise you're not ever leaving me?'

He gently kissed my forehead and I heard the smile in his voice. 'I promise. You can't get rid of me that easy.'

'Good. I don't want to.'

I let my body relax, still being effected by the sleeping pills. He held me tight and slowly, I fell back to sleep. I didn't dream, and when I woke the next morning, I found I hadn't moved all night long.

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**AN: Wow. How 'bout that, huh? Thanks to the 5 people who reviewed and the others that marked this on alerts and favorites. You are all awesome. Thanks for reading and please leav a review on your way out!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Two days later, I was getting ready for my friend's funeral. The first funeral I had to attend since my grandma's three years previous. 'Goodness Sirius, I can't believe she's gone.' I sat on the bed, halfway dressed. My black skirt was halfway zipped, my blouse unbuttoned and hanging open while my stockings had a run up the left leg. I was a mess.

Sirius appeared in the doorway to the bathroom where he was shaving. Had I not been so distraught, I would have laughed at the clumps of shaving cream hanging off his face. I would have assumed that there were magical ways to shave, but maybe not. He looked me up and down, shaking his head lightly at my state of distress. 'Kris…' he trailed off. 'Give me a minute.'

He disappeared back into the bathroom and when he came out he was shaven and his face was clear of the shaving cream. Kneeling in front of me, he took my hands in his. 'Kris, I wish I knew what to say. Losing people you care about doesn't get any easier. Believe me; I've done it many times and I know I'll have to lose others.'

'I don't want to lose anyone else. Not when they're so young! Liz was only twenty! She still had years and years left.' The tears slid down my cheeks, smearing my makeup and stinging my eyes.

'Well I'm sorry to say, but you'll lose a lot of people before their time.' He spoke softly and I looked up into his eyes, praying one of those people wouldn't be him. 'It won't get any easier, but you'll be fine. Now come on, let's get you ready to go.'

I stood up and tried to put myself back into some semblance of order. Sirius disappeared downstairs, leaving me to myself. After washing my face, I attempted to put on my makeup and look presentable. When I emerged from the bedroom, I looked much better than I had only twenty minutes previous, even if I didn't feel any better.

'Are you ready?' He asked softly, taking my hand in his.

'No,' I said, shaking my head. 'But I don't have much choice.' I grabbed my coat off the back of the chair and my purse from the table. It was cold and the snow from the previous night had refrozen in clumps on the drive and sidewalk.

We walked outside, locked the door behind us and climbed into my car. Sirius drove to the church, knowing full well I was in no condition to drive. Once there, we sat in one o the middle pews, bowing our heads to pray, standing when necessary and listening to people remembering Liz.

I didn't speak throughout the service, whispering my prayers or saying them in my mind. Sirius took my hand halfway through and I was grateful for his presence. After the minister dismissed us, the group in the church rose and quietly exited out the doors. The coffin was slid into the hearse and the funeral procession travelled down the road to the cemetery.

There were chairs set up beside the grave for the immediate family. Sirius and I stood in the back near some of my co-workers. Sophia was directly next to me, sniffling and wiping her eyes with a balled up tissue.

Sirius held my hand throughout the entire thing and once the graveside service was through, I walked up to the row of chairs and gently placed a single rose on Liz's casket. 'Are you Krista?' An older woman said from beside me. Liz's mother.

'Yes, I am. I'm very sorry for your loss.' It was the cliché response, but I couldn't think of anything original.

'You worked with her didn't you? And you were the one who found her, my Elizabeth?' She took my free hand in hers and I nodded, unable to trust myself with speech.

'I'm sorry. I hope they catch whoever did this.' I felt the tears welling in my eyes again.

'Me too my dear. The coroner said she was frightened to death. I can't imagine what could have caused that.' Mrs Connelly said softly and I was startled. How was that possible?

I gently squeezed her hand and forced a smile. 'I'm sure the police will find who did this.'

'Julia?' Liz's mother turned and I took that moment to slip away. I couldn't keep talking to her, not when I knew what actually happened. That was the same cause of death that was listed for Marlene McKinnon and her family.

'Sirius, I need to leave,' I said when I got back to his side.

He nodded, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. 'Sure. Let's go get dinner or something.'

We quietly walked away from the gathered group. I waved goodbye to Sophia, Tyler and Jessica who were gathered near the coffin. I would talk to them at work on Monday, maybe.

'Hey Krista,' Michael said and I turned towards his voice, holding tightly to Sirius' hand.

'Hi Michael. You remember Sirius.' The two men shook hands without smiling. Sirius squeezed my hand and I forced a smile up at my co-worker. 'We need to be going. I'll see you at work on Monday.' We turned and started to walk away, leaving behind Liz's grieving family.

'Speaking of work, do you have any other ideas on your story?' I stopped and turned back to him, appalled.

'How could you ask something like that here? This is a funeral service Michael, for our co-worker… our friend. You don't bring that up here.' I spun on my heel and together, Sirius and I walked away back to the car.

He opened my door and shut it after I had climbed in. After walking around the car and sitting in the driver's seat, he turned to me with a sad smile on his face. 'Are you all right?'

'Yes, I think. Michael just annoys me. He used to be fine, but lately… I don't know. He's just been creepy lately.' I sat back in the seat and stared out the window.

'Creepy how?'

I shrugged, not quite sure how to explain it. 'It's like I catch him watching me when he thinks I'm not looking. He makes weird comments, like the one he just said. And he turns up at the strangest times.'

He nodded, as if thinking things over in his mind. 'Well, if you need me to talk to him, I'll be more than happy to.' He had a mischievous smile on his face and I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

'I'm twenty years old. I don't need you to talk to him; I can take care of it.' I shook my head and turned to stare out the window.

'All right, if you say so. But keep it in mind.' Sirius said as he started the car and began driving home. He took my hand in his and we drove in silence. The drive was long and I stared out the window for the entire ride, hardly paying attention to the scenes passing by. Trees, houses and other buildings flew passed.

'Kris, we're here.' I felt my shoulder shake and I opened my eyes. Sirius had my door open and was kneeling on the ground next to me. 'Come on.' Taking my hand, we walked inside and I went upstairs to change.

When I came back down, I was in my sweatpants and an old Uni tee shirt. Sirius had made tea and had cut two pieces of the coffee cake I had baked a few days before. 'Sit.' He pointed to the kitchen table and placed the tea in front of me.

I took in a deep breath and forced a smile. 'Thanks for the tea.'

We sat in silence and I tried to keep myself from thinking about Liz. It seemed that since I had met Sirius, I was losing people. First came Marlene (even though I really didn't know her), then Dorcas and now Liz. Who would be next? Would I lose James or Lily? What about Remus? Or maybe I would lose Sirius?

'Sirius?' I asked, keeping my mind off her for a moment.

'Yes, love?'

I took a deep breath and looked over at him, meeting his eyes. 'What do you think happens after you die? I mean… is there a specific thing that magic people believe?'

'What do you believe happens?' He asked with a smile, either avoiding my question or making a point.

'Well, I was raised Catholic, so we were told that our spirit travels to Heaven and we frolic among the flowers.' I reached up and fingered the cross I had worn around my neck for years. My paternal grandmother had given it to me for my Confirmation.

'Okay, but what do you specifically believe? You might have been raised Catholic, but I'm sure you have your own opinions.'

I thought about that for a few moments. Did I believe in Heaven, or something else? 'Well, I suppose that idea sounds a bit ridiculous. I think reincarnation sounds pretty interesting. I'd like to come back as an animal or sorts. Maybe a dog or a butterfly.'

Sirius found this extremely funny for some odd reason and I waited impatiently for his fit of laughter to finish. 'Well, turning into a dog does sound like a nice idea. It's the same thing with wizards. We don't all believe the same thing. I like to think that the evil people, the ones causing this problem, have some sort of punishment.'

'But what do you believe specifically?' I asked curiously. What an odd conversation to be having with my boyfriend.

He thought for a moment, tapping his chin while he thought. 'Well, I believe in something like a Heaven and Hell. I'd like to think I've done a good enough job in my live to go up to Heaven. I don't know about the frolicking among the flowers,' he said with a smile. 'But I believe you get to be with your loved ones.'

'That would be nice.' We lapsed into silence, my thoughts returning to Liz. After a quick glance at the clock, I looked back up at Sirius. 'I'm going to go take a nap.'

'Good idea. I'll find something for dinner when you wake up.' I stood up and walked over to where he was sitting.

Leaning down, I kissed his cheek. 'Thank you,' I whispered with a smile before turning and going up the stairs to our bedroom.

I looked around our bedroom and smiled. All the furniture in here was Sirius' save my lingerie chest and a few other things. I liked his belongings, they matched his personality. Curling up on our queen sized bed; I pulled the afghan over me and immediately fell asleep.

When I woke up later, the sun had set and the backyard light was shining into through the window. I swung my feet over the bed, slipped on my slippers and went downstairs to find something for dinner. To my happy surprise, Sirius was cooking.

'That smells really nice,' I said softly, wrapping my arms around his waist.

He put down the spoon and turned around, holding me close to his chest. 'Did you have a nice nap?'

'Yes,' I stood on my toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips. 'What's for dinner?'

'Well milady, we have chicken breasts sautéed in a creamy butter sauce to spoon over linguine.'

I raised an eyebrow and glanced down in the pan. Surprised that I found exactly what he just described. 'Very nice.' I smiled and went to the cabinet and pulled out a glass for water. 'Is it almost ready?'

'Almost. Go sit.'

I went to the dining table and sat down in my chair. I flipped through a magazine but pushed it aside when it realised I had read it already. Underneath the magazine was the invitation, Ian and Rebecca's wedding invitation. I stared at it. After a moment's hesitation, I opened it for the second time and pulled out the white invitation with the response card.

Picking a pen up off the nearby bookcase, I quickly signed my name and checked 'will attend.' With the state of things in both the wizarding and non-wizarding worlds, I couldn't not go to the wedding. I would probably regret it later.

'Here is your plate, my love.' He placed the plate in front of me and I looked up.

'Do you mind if we go to the wedding? After everything that's happened…' I trailed off and shrugged.

'Are you sure that's what you want? Are you sure you want to go?' He looked down at me, concerned.

'I think so,' I said with a nod. 'Ian doesn't bother me any more. I have you and that's all I need.'

He smiled down at me and I grinned. He bent down and kissed me softly first, and then ore insistent. The plates lay forgotten on the table and he carried me to the couch, our lips never separating for more than a moment.

His hands fiddled with the hem of my sleep shirt and ran across my stomach, sending shivers up my spine. I let my hands run along his back, sighing as his lips moved to my chin and neck.

'Sirius,' I panted after a few more moments.

'Yes love,' he whispered breathlessly against my ear, sending another shiver through me.

'I… I can't do this.' He pulled back slightly and I saw the distressing look cross his face. 'I'm sorry… I just…' I trailed off again, pink blush crossing my cheeks. 'It's not that I don't want to… I just can't right now.'

He nodded, no longer as thrilled to have his arms around me. 'Dinner's getting cold.' After adjusting his pants, he stood up and sat at the table, picking at his dinner and avoiding looking at me.

'I'm sorry,' I whispered from my seat on the couch.

Sirius sighed and kept his gaze on his plate. 'It's fine. Really. Come eat your dinner.'

I sat across from him and picked at my own dinner. We didn't speak throughout the meal and once we were finished, I gathered up the dishes and went to the kitchen to clean.

Sirius didn't join me and when I was finished cleaning the kitchen, he had retreated upstairs. I wasn't sure what he was doing (didn't really want to know honestly), so I left him alone. I curled up on the couch with my notebook and began working on my novel. Might as well get something accomplished while he wasn't speaking to me.

* * *

**AN: Well boys and girls, we're on the downward slide. I hope I can keep writing up to your expectations. ****We have more Creepy!Michael and he'll make an even larger appearance in about 3 more chapters.**

**Thanks so much for reading and please *please!* leave a review on the way out. And an extra special thanks to: TearfulReunion, HpC0ldplay, grumpypirate, brunette-in-black, and LadyStrider17 for reviewing the last chapter.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

I went to work on Monday and worked the entire week and thankfully, it was now Friday. I forced myself to stay occupied, rather than think about how empty and sombre the office seemed without Liz. The morning and afternoon crawled at a snail's pace while I sat and my desk, typing up words I could never publish, words that had nothing to do with the murders plaguing our nation.

'Krista?' I looked up quickly, meeting Sophia's eyes. 'Do you need any help?' She looked so sad, and it was as if she was begging me for something to do to keep her occupied. I wished I could have helped, but everything I was doing was to keep _me_ occupied.

Forcing a smile, I shook my head. 'No, thank you. I'm trying to keep myself busy as it is. But thank you for offering.' I smiled again and looked back down at my typewriter, the black keys glaring up at me.

I forced myself to continue working until nearly three o'clock. I then packed up my bag, clicked off my desk light and left my cubicle. My eyes were fixed on the stairwell, ignoring Liz's empty desk as I walked by. If I could make it just a few more steps, I wouldn't have to avoid that desk for an entire weekend. Hopefully, Mr Campbell would have hired someone knew, and someone else would be sitting at that desk. Then it wouldn't feel so… so morose.

The stairwell was dim, the light flickering in its shade. I shivered as I walked down the stairs slowly so I wouldn't trip over my feet, as I had been known to do many times. My heels clicking against the tile floor echoed down the hall.

When I reached the bottom, I exhaled a sigh of relief, and opened the door to the bright sun. It was cold, being the end of February and the cool air smelled like snow. I wanted it to snow. Snow was always clean as it fell, always beautiful. I walked quickly to my car, pulling out my keys as I went. 'Krista!'

I spun in the snow, dropping my purse and keys in my surprise. 'Michael, you scared me.' I bent down, picked up my purse, and rummaged in the leftover snow for my keys.

'I'm sorry,' he said without emotion. 'Hey, what are you doing tonight? Want to go and get a drink before you head home?' I cringed inwardly and struggled not to show it on the outside.

'I really can't. I've got to get home; it's my night to cook dinner.' I smiled and stepped backwards towards my car. 'Thank you though.'

He stepped forward as I stepped back, increasing my nervousness. 'You never want to go out with me. Why is that?' His voice was low and carried a slight singsong tone.

'Well Michael,' I said with a smile, struggling to keep my calm. 'You always ask when I'm busy.' I slid my key into the lock and opened my door.

'What about next weekend? Or the weekend after?' He took another step forward and I slid into my car seat, tossing my purse onto the passenger's seat.

'I'm pretty booked up for the next few weekends. My former boyfriend is getting married next weekend and we're going to visit Sirius' family the weekend after. Let me look at my calendar and I'll let you know Monday what would be a good date.' I moved to pull the door shut, but Michael's hand stopped it.

'Sure. You do that.' He looked down on me with a strange look I couldn't identify.

'Bye,' I said, pulling the door shut. I quickly started the car and drove away, pressing down the lock button as I drove off.

I drove home, pulling into the driveway and shutting off the engine. I sat in the driver's seat, thinking over the conversation I just had with Michael. Should I tell Sirius about this encounter? He wasn't thrilled over Michael at Liz's funeral, and he most certainly wouldn't be now.

After collecting my belongings, I took a deep breath and opened the car door, walking slowly to the house. Sirius pulled the door open as I took the last few steps. 'What were you sitting in the car for?'

I looked up in shock, surprised he had been watching me. 'I dropped my keys,' I lied quickly. 'I couldn't find them.'

'Oh,' he said with a nod, not sounding very convinced. 'Well come on in, it's cold out here. Care for some tea?' He shut the door behind me, keeping the cold air at bay.

'I'd love some.' I unwrapped my scarf from my neck and hung it in the hall closet with my jacket. Returning to the kitchen, I sat at the dining table and watched Sirius putter around the kitchen.

On the table was what looked like a newspaper, _The Daily Prophet_ was the title. I pulled it across the table to me and read through the headlines, all seemingly magic related. 'What is this?' I asked, flipping though the paper as Sirius put down my cup of hot tea.

'You shouldn't be looking at that,' he said, pulling the paper way from me.

'Why not?' It was on our table, I was free to look at anything in this house. Or not.

Sirius took the paper and folded it up, tossing it into the corner. 'Because it has things in it you don't need to see.'

'Like what?' I was tired of being told I shouldn't know something. I'm not a part of the magic world, but I have a right to know what's going on.

He shot me a dirty look and I cringed, shocked. 'Fine. You want to read? Here.' He picked up the newspaper and tossed back at me.

'What…?' I trailed off, stunned by his attitude. Why was he being such a prat?

Sirius stormed off, up the stairs and I heard the bedroom door slam. I jumped at the sudden loud noise and stared at the stairs. What was wrong?

Unable to control my curiosity, I opened the paper and skimmed the headlines. The titles declared that more muggles were dying, witches and wizards were disappearing and also gave several ways to protect both home and family against Dark Forces. What were Inferi? What was the Imperius curse? What was the Dark Mark?

I read over the articles, finding myself more confused at every word. Muggles were dying. I was a muggle, a non-magic person. Should I be worried? Was this why he didn't want me to read the article?

I flipped to the back page and skimmed it. Nothing new that wasn't in the previous pages of the paper. Do I confront him about this, or let it be?

After folding the paper, I slid it to the corner of the table, my eyes occasionally shifting towards it in curiosity. I sat at the table, sipping my tea and debating going upstairs to talk to him. If I did, I could head this argument off early, not wait until I became more upset and finally exploded. Sucking in a deep breath, I stood up and made my way up the stairs.

'Sirius?' I knocked on the door. There was a pause and then the door flung open.

'What?' His voice was harsh and shocked me so much that I had to take a step back. 'Anything else you want to look at?' His grey eyes flashed in anger, upsetting me more than his tone of voice.

I stared up at him, still in shock. 'I'm sorry,' I said softly.

'You need to realise, there are things about my world you really don't need to know. I don't need to worry about this on top of everything else. I worry about you enough as it is.' He stepped back from the door and I took that as an invitation to enter.

'Why do you worry?' I asked quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed as he paced around the room.

Sirius stopped and stared at me, a strange look on his face. 'Did you not read the paper? Didn't you see the headlines? Muggles are dying every day, and most of those people have nothing to do with my world. They're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. What would they do to you? Someone's already hurt you once, and we still don't know who they are.'

I looked down at my hands, twisting my fingers together. 'I'm sorry,' I whispered. 'I don't want to worry you.'

'I'm always going to worry about you, no matter what.' He knelt down in front of me and took my hands in his. 'The more you know, the more you're in danger. I can't lose you Kris.' Placing a soft kiss on my fingers, he smiled up at me. Even though the action seemed forced, I smiled back.

'Why are you with me, if it causes you this much worry and stress?'

Sirius smiled again, this time a genuine one. 'Because I love you, and you can't help who you fall in love with. Besides, I can protect you. If we're not together you're fair game for any Death Eater, especially since you know so much.'

I nodded, terrified for not only myself but for Sirius. What could happen to him while he was protecting me? Could he be hurt? Maybe even killed? My hands started shaking and he looked up at me in alarm. 'What's wrong?'

Shaking my head I kept my gaze focused on my fingers and struggled to keep them steady. 'It's not worth it. This can't be worth it.'

'What? What's not worth it? What are you talking about?' His eyebrows furrowed and he cocked his head to the side. 'Kris…'

'Me! I'm not worth putting yourself in this much danger!' I exclaimed loudly as the tears began sliding down my cheeks.

A loud bark of laughter pulled me from my tears. I looked up through blurry eyes and found him laughing at me. After pulling my hands back, I glared at him and waited for him to finish.

He reached out and pulled my hands back towards him. 'I'm not laughing at you, I promise.' Squeezing my hands tightly, he smiled up at me. 'Kris, it doesn't matter whether or not I'm with you; I'm still in danger. What I do, being an Auror, is a highly dangerous position.'

'But I don't help matters much.'

Sirius brushed a tear from my cheek and tilted my chin so that I met his eyes. 'You are quite possibly the greatest thing that has happened to me. Coming home and having you here makes this worth it.'

I nodded but didn't reply. I didn't see how being around him was a good thing. He was in danger because of me and I couldn't do anything to help it. 'Don't you even think about it,' he said with a warning tone. 'Don't you plan on leaving me for anything, understand.' He kissed my forehead and gently pulled me to my feet. 'Come on, we're going to…'

'What's the Imperius curse?'

I felt Sirius' hand cringe around mine. 'Don't ever read that newspaper again. You don't need to know about these things.'

Ignoring my question, he descended the stairs and I followed silently, not that I had much choice seeing as he was still holding my hand.

The phone rang as my foot hit the bottom step, and I raced over to it, dropping Sirius' hand. 'Hello?'

'_Krista!'_

I cringed, my mother. 'Hi mum. How are you?'

'_I haven't heard from you in days! How are you? How is Sirius? Is everything okay?'_

Forcing back a smile, I shook my head and answered my mother's questions. We talked while Sirius puttered around the sitting room. At one point he was kneeling near the fireplace which was emitting green flames. I shook my head once more and when I glanced back, the flames were normal orange, red and yellow.

'Yes mum, we're all fine. I promise.' I sat on a stool near the counter.

'_As long as you promise.'_

'Kris, I need to go,' Sirius whispered softly in my left ear.

I spun quickly, nearly colliding with Sirius' forehead. 'What?' I asked, covering the telephone mouthpiece with my hand. 'What are you talking about?' My mother was still talking, but it wasn't anything of importance.

'There's a meeting and I'm needed. I'll be back soon, I promise.' He kissed my cheek and squeezed my shoulder before walking to the door and disappearing with a loud crack. I jumped on the stool and closed my eyes, slowly trying to slow my heart. I hated that sound.

'_Krista? Are you there?'_

'Yes mum, I'm sorry. Sirius had to leave for a meeting. I was just saying good-bye. I actually need to get off the phone as well. I have an article due next week I need to get working on. I'll talk to you later mum. Love you.'

'_All right Krista. Give Sirius a hug for me. Love you. Bye!' _Mum hug up the phone before I even got a chance to respond.

I cleaned up the kitchen, washing and drying the teapot and cups before putting them back in the cupboard. Sirius could be gone anywhere from ten minutes to ten hours, so I wasn't planning a large dinner.

Our local newspaper was on the bookcase so I took it along with a cup of water over to the couch. I skimmed over the headlines and found nothing to catch my interest. On the final page one small blip caught my eye. Seamus Peters, age 64, was found dead in his home yesterday. The paper gave no cause of death, but I had this feeling that his death was connected to my story. He was murdered by these Death Eaters.

Another loud crack jerked me from my thoughts and I jumped up, spilling my water on my pants. 'Kris I'm so sorry!' Sirius exclaimed, walking over to me. He pulled out his wand and made a towel appear out of thin air. 'Here.'

I took the towel and wiped the water up from my pants. 'That is still the weirdest thing,' I said, smiling up at him.

'What? Making things appear out of no where?' To be an arse, he made another towel appear along with a bouquet of flowers. 'My love.'

'Everything all right?' I asked as I took the towels and flowers into the kitchen.

'Yes and no.' He followed me and sat in the stool I had previously vacated.

'But you can't tell me.' I pulled a vase from the cupboard and filled it with water, arranging the flowers inside.

When he didn't answer I turned and found him staring at me. 'I wish I could,' he whispered.

I nodded, not sure whether or not I believed him.

* * *

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter! And thanks to everyone who has added this to an alert or favorite. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it was a bit fluffy. Please leave a review on your way out! Thanks!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Two weeks had passed since our previous argument. I hadn't mentioned the paper and Sirius didn't bring it up either. It was as it we were treading on eggshells, both avoiding anything that would cause conflict. We went to our respective jobs and talked of silly things like the weather and what shows we wanted to watch on the telly.

March seventh rolled around quickly and I woke up that morning dreading the rest of the day. Ian and Rebecca were getting married today. I stretched and glanced at the bed next to me, seeing that Sirius wasn't there. Pulling my bathrobe from the armchair in the corner of the room, I slowly made my way downstairs.

Sirius was sitting on the edge of the sofa, a cup of tea clasped in his hands. 'Hey,' I said softly, crossing the room and sitting next to him. 'What's wrong?'

'I have to go.'

I froze. 'What? What do you mean you have to go? The wedding is today and you can't make me go by myself.' I panicked, my heart starting to pound rapidly. I was not going to go to that wedding alone, not with Ian and Rebecca being the ones getting married. The only reason I agreed to go was because Sirius said he'd be there.

'It won't be for the whole day, just the first few hours. I should be back by noon. I promise.' He forced a smile before standing up and heading to the kitchen. I heard the tap turn on and his cup be placed in the sink. 'I'll see you later,' he said with a wave before disappearing with a loud crack.

'Damn you!' I yelled loudly, stomping up the stairs to the shower. It was only nine in the morning and I still had four hours until I needed to be at the church across town.

Stripping down, I tossed the bathrobe onto the bed and turned on the shower tap. The water heated up quickly and I stepped in, pulling the curtain closed behind me. I let the hot water fall over me, closing my eyes and deeply breathing in the hot steam. 'How dare he leave like that?' I asked **aloud** as I shampooed my hair.

The shower lasted for a good twenty minutes and when I turned off the water, my fingers and toes were pruned. I wrapped my hair in a towel and wrapped my body in my bathrobe. It was cool in the house, being the beginning of March, and I turned up the thermostat, hoping to send a warm breeze through the air.

I sat in the living room watching sappy romantic movies on the telly, waiting for Sirius to come back. When the clock chimed twelve noon, I sighed and stood up, making my way up the stairs. After tossing the towel into the hamper, I shook out my hair, combing it lightly with my fingers.

The dress I was going to wear was hung in the closet, covered in a large plastic bag. It was dark green with a gold belt wrapped around the waist. I clipped on my bra and pulled the dress over my head before carefully applying my makeup. If he wasn't back in twenty minutes…

The front door opened and shut and I raced to the top of the stairs, looking down into the entryway. 'Sirius? Is that you?'

'Yeah,' he replied in a monotonous voice.

'Are you going to get dressed? We have to leave soon.' I waited for a response and when I didn't get one, I retreated to the bedroom, deciding to fix my makeup rather than wait for him.

I applied the black eyeliner to my eyes and a tan shadow to my lids. After dusting my cheeks with powder, I studied my reflection in the mirror. In the past few months, my face had changed and I no longer looked like me. I didn't recognize my eyes or my face. My hair had darkened and my eyes lost some of their sparkle.

'I'm sorry I left,' Sirius whispered from behind me. 'I wouldn't have gone if it wasn't important.'

'I know, you always say that.'

'That's because it's always true.' I heard him cross the room and then his hands were on my back, wrapping around my waist and turning me to him. 'I only leave when I have to.'

I nodded, forcing a smile and looking up at him. 'I know. I'm not going to argue about it or pretend that it's fine. You do what you have to and that's it.'

He placed a soft kiss on my forehead. 'Let's say I change and we go to this wedding.'

'I like that idea.' I pulled away from him, turning back to the sink to apply my mascara and lipstick while he went to the room to change.

When I was finished, I joined him in the bedroom, slipping on my nylons and sliding my feet into my dark green heels. 'I'm ready when you are,' I said, sitting on the bed.

Sirius turned towards me, dressed in his black pants but no shirt. He was gorgeous. His upper body was well toned and relatively hairless, save a small patch near his navel. 'What are you looking at?' He asked, pulling the shirt over his head.

'Nothing,' I said innocently, a smile playing on my lips.

'I'll show you nothing.' He quickly crossed the room, his nimble fingers tickling my sides and sending me into spasms and giggles.

'No!' I gasped. 'Stop…' I struggled to breath, twisting on the bed, messing up my hair.

'Say you love me.'

'I… love you…' I gasped, tears running down my cheeks.

'Good.' His fingers pulled away and he went back to dressing, tying his tie and pulling on his suit jacket. 'Well, are you ready? Why are you crying?' He looked down at me, a sad expression on his face. 'If you aren't ready to go to this wedding…'

'I was ready,' I said, sticking my tongue out at him. 'Until someone decided to tickle me.'

I stood up, and went back to the bathroom sink, attempting to fix my makeup and hair. Five minutes later, I walked into the bedroom, my hair pulled back and my makeup as perfect as it had been before he decided to tickle me. 'I'm ready when you are.'

'Are you sure you want to go? We can just stay home.' Sirius stood, taking my hand and holding it tightly.

'I know,' I sighed. 'We need to go. I need to go. Once I do, I'll never have to speak to him again. I'll never see her again either. Please, let's just go before I change my mind.'

'All right.' He kissed the back of my hand and we walked together down the stairs.

I picked up the gift bag from the table and followed him out to my car, locking the front door behind me. Sirius opened the passenger door for me and I slid in. The gift sat on the floor between my feet.

'So, where to?'

'St. Margaret's on St. Margaret's Road in Twickenham. I have the directions right here.' I handed him the paper and he scanned the words, memorizing the directions.

'I think we can find this.' He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. We drove in near silence, the hum of the engine being the only noise heard. He turned down side roads and thirty minutes later, we were there. People were already lined up outside, walking slowly into the church. 'You sure you want to do this? We can always leave.'

'No,' I said, shaking my head. 'We're here. We might as well go in.' Taking a deep breath, I opened my door, pulling the bag with me.

Sirius walked around the car, shutting my door and taking my hand in his. 'It'll be wedding will be over in an hour and we'll stay just long enough at the reception to put in an appearance.'

'That sounds good,' I said softly, letting him drag me across the parking lot.

We walked across the road to the church, following the crowd of people through the door. 'Krista? Is that you?' I turned at the sound of my name, pasting a smile on my face.

'Hi Luke,' I said, turning to face him. 'Ian's brother,' I whispered out of the corner of my mouth to Sirius.

'I didn't expect to see you here today.' I dropped Sirius' hand as he approached, hugging him loosely.

'Yeah, Ian begged. Luke, this is my boyfriend Sirius Black. Sirius, this is Luke Carlyle, the groom's brother.' Sirius held out his hand and Luke shook it. The two men stared at each other for a few seconds before I cleared my throat lightly, breaking the tension.

'Might I escort you to a seat?' Luke asked, holding out his arm. I took it with a quick smile to Sirius. 'Would you like to sit on the groom's side or the bride's?'

Taking a quick breath, I forced another smile as I turned to look at Luke. 'Either will be fine.'

Luke led us to the middle of the church and I dropped his arm before sliding into the pew after blessing myself. 'Thank you Luke,' I said before he walked off.

'So, that was slightly awkward,' Sirius said after sliding in next to me. I nodded, picking up a hymnal from the rack in front of me. 'You know, I've never been to a muggle wedding.'

'That doesn't surprise me,' I said softly with a shake of my head. 'I'll be you've never been to a Catholic Church either.'

'No. What's so different about a Catholic church?'

'Well, our weddings are longer because they incorporate a full mass with communion. You don't have to do anything, just sit there and try to stay awake.' I scanned over the hymns before looking around the church.

I hadn't realized how much I missed coming to church until just now. The familiar surroundings brought me back to my childhood when I would go with my grandma.

'What's a mass? And communion?'

'Now I get to explain things to you,' I said with a smile. Closing the hymnal, I reached across his lap and took his hand, squeezing it lightly. 'A mass is a church service: singing, prayer, and gospel. Communion is the symbolic eating and drinking of Jesus' body and blood. It's really just dry wafers and wine.'

'That sounds…' he trailed off, a strange look on his face.

'Yeah, I try not to think about it much. Catholicism promotes cannibalism.'

We lapsed into silence and I looked up, people watching. I recognized a few of Ian's relatives, and Rebecca's aunts. I watched Ian walk out from a door with his brother next to him. Just a few months ago I had missed him so much and now, I couldn't be bothered. It's amazing what time will do, along with a good boyfriend.

The music started up a few minutes later and I turned, watching the girls walk in. Carrie Saunders (nee Marshall) and Sara Ward, two of my former friends were her bridesmaids and Rebecca's sister was her maid-of-honour. The flower girl walked passed, tossing red and white rose petals from her basket before the Wedding March started. The congregation rose and I nudged Sirius, forcing him to stand up with us.

She looked beautiful in her long-sleeved white dress. Her hair was pulled up, a few curls rested across her cheeks. I caught her eyes as she walked passed, genuinely smiling at her. At least for the next few hours, I could be happy for her.

The wedding took forever, even as Catholic weddings go. We sang, listened to the readings, took communion, and I had to wake Sirius. Thankfully, he didn't start snoring, but his head was bobbing next to me. Finally, Ian and Rebecca took their vows, exchanged rings and the Priest pronounced them husband and wife.

I clapped with the rest of the congregation before watching them file out. We let the majority of the people leave before stepping into the aisle and walking out of the church. 'Krista, you came!' I turned to the sound of the voice and smiled.

'Congratulations Becky,' I said, walking up to her and hugging her tightly. Turning to Ian, I hugged him as well. 'Glad to see you both so happy.' Stepping back, I took Sirius' hand. 'We'll let you two take your pictures. See you later.' I led Sirius away, pulling my coat closer around me as we stepped into the cool air.

'Well that was awkward,' he said once we had reached the car. 'Where's the reception?'

'Down the block,' I said, handing him the directions. I stared out the window as he started the car and drove a few streets down to the hotel.

He turned off the car and twisted in his seat to face me. 'We don't have to go. They both saw you… we can just go.'

'No, I'm fine. I want to go. I've yet had the chance to dance with you, and this is the perfect opportunity.

'Dancing? You didn't say anything about dancing.' His blank expression changed to one of fear.

'You know how to dance, I know you do. Come on. The quicker we get in there, the quicker we can leave.' I opened the car door and slid my feet out, taking the gift bag with me.

The sky had clouded, blocking out the sun, and the temperature dropped quickly. 'It looks like it's going to snow,' I said taking his hand in mine.

'That would be nice.'

We walked up the steps and into the hotel, following the line of balloons to the banquet room. **Sirius took my coat and his, checking it with the attendant. I placed** the gift on the table with the others, I led Sirius over to a table, letting him pull the chair out for me. Again, I sat and people watched. Everyone was dressed up, milling around greeting everyone else.

The DJ started up the music as we all waited for the bridal party to enter. 'Did you want a drink?' Sirius asked, pushing his chair back.

'Yes please, a Vodka Cranberry.'

He kissed the top of my head, heading off to the bar in the corner. I waved at a few people I remembered from my school days, ignoring the pain in my heart. No matter how hard I pretended to be okay with this, to be okay with being at Ian's wedding, it still hurt. It still hurt that he married Rebecca and not me.

'Here love,' Sirius said, placing the drink in front of me. 'What's wrong?'

I shook my head, looking around the hall. 'Nothing's wrong. Oh look, here they are.' The DJ welcomed the wedding party, introducing each member and then the bride and groom. Ian led Rebecca onto the dance floor and they started their first dance as a married couple.

They danced, kissed and began their walk around the hall. I held tight to Sirius' hand, hoping he could give me the strength to get through this. 'I need to go,' I whispered as Ian and Rebecca slowly got closer to our table. 'I can't do this. I thought I could… but I can't.'

'All right. I'll go get your coat. Meet me in the lobby in five minutes.' He kissed my hand before getting up and walking away.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and counted to ten. I loved Sirius, which was certain. But I still had feelings for Ian, whether positive or negative. Thirty seconds later, I stood up and slowly made my way across the hall. I ignored the waves and Rebecca's call of hello.

'You ready?' Sirius asked, holding out my coat. I slipped my arms into the sleeves, wrapping it tightly around me.

'Oh yes, more than ready.' He held the door open and I walked out, grinning at the sight. 'It's snowing!' I walked quickly down the steps and twirled in the snow. 'How beautiful is this!'

'Not nearly as beautiful as you.' He followed me down the steps, taking my hands in his. 'You look gorgeous Krista.'

His bright grey eyes sparkled as he leaned down to kiss me. His lips brushed mine, sending sparks through my body. 'I love you,' I whispered, looking up into his eyes.

'I love you too. What do you say we go home?'

Biting my lip, I looked up at him and nodded. He took my hand and led me out to the car, opening the passenger door and letting me slide in. I kept my hands in my lap, silently debating my next course of action.

The drive to our flat was silent and long. I watched out the window, smiling at the snowflakes that fell and created a winter wonderland. It was beautiful, before the cars ruined the beautiful white snow with the dirt and grime. 'Hey,' Sirius said softly, pulling me from my thoughts. 'We're here.'

In the blink of an eye, Sirius was out of the car and opening my door. He picked me up and carried me into the house, taking a moment to unlock the door. Carrying me up the stairs, he laid me on the bed and looked down at me. 'Come here,' I said softly, gazing into his eyes.

Crawling on me, he straddled me, looking down. Leaning in slowly, he brushed his lips against mine, pressing lightly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me, deepening the kiss. He pressed his hips into me as we kissed, my fingers running through his hair. 'Are you sure you want to do this?' He asked after pulling back slightly.

I nodded, biting my lip and feeling the blush creep across my cheeks. 'I'm sure.'

Moving off of me, he slowly untied his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it onto my giant stuffed bear in the corner. 'I'll go slowly, I promise.'

'I know, I trust you.'

* * *

**AN: Yikes! There are no excuses for taking this long to update. I apologize profusely and hope that someone will still read this. Thanks to HpC0ldplay, AllenPitt, grumpypirate, LadyStrider17 and the_werewolf_gal for reviewing the previous chapter. Lots of love! Please leave a review on your way out to let me know if you're still reading!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

What a day! I spent the first half going over autopsy reports and the second half going over obituaries. My head was filled with the names of all the victims so far, going back almost three years. I had been in contact with several police officials, but no one seemed to be able to help me. I hadn't' been in the business long enough to warrant answering my phone call.

I debated ignoring it when the phone rang ten minutes before I was scheduled to leave. I didn't want to deal with whoever might be on the other line. But, with my luck, it was one of the Bobbies calling me back and if I didn't answer it, I would lose my job. 'Hello, Krista Thomas speaking,' I answered, trying to sound as cheery as possible.

'_Hey love.'_

I grinned at the sound of Sirius' voice. 'I'm glad I answered the phone.'

'_Were you not planning on it?' _He tried to sound hurt, but I could hear the hint of a giggle in his voice.

'Not after the day I've had.'

'_Aw, I'll have to give you a massage when you get home.'_

'That sounds like a great idea. I should be home in about thirty minutes. I'm leaving in five.' I glanced at the clock, sighing softly when I saw I still had ten minutes until I could actually leave.

'_Good. See you when you get here. Love you.'_

Looking down at the phone, I smiled. 'I love you too.'

I hung up the phone and stared down at my desk, looking at the mess that cluttered it. I had far too many papers piled up. Clearing the mess into piles took nearly the entire five minutes I had left and when I clicked off my desk lamp, the clock read 3:03. After gathering my purse and knapsack, I walked slowly out of my cubicle and through the office. I tried not to look, but Liz's desk was still empty, vacant and lonely and I silently wished that Mr Campbell would hire someone to fill her position soon. Otherwise, I might go crazy looking at the empty desk.

My heels clicked against the floor, echoing through the near empty office. I bravely walked down the stairs rather than taking the elevator, heels clicking down the steps. Walking out to my car, I searched for my keys and smiled at the still cool weather.

I heard a loud crack behind me and I couldn't tell if it was someone apparating or a twig snapping. Spinning quickly, I heard someone yell. 'Petrificus Totalus,' a man's voice yelled. Before I could even see who was behind me, I froze, falling to the ground. 'Somnus,' a man whispered from somewhere near me and…

*~*~*

I shook my head, slowly waking up from whatever sleep I was in. Glancing around the room, my mind slowly flooded with memories of the previous night. 'Ah, you're awake,' a male voice said and I recognized it immediately**. **

I jumped at the sound of his voice, shocked at how terrified it made me. 'What happened?' I asked, trying to sound sleepy still. I struggled to pull my hands, but they were tied behind my back, the ropes chaffing my wrists.I couldn't see anything, the only light coming from a crack under the door and a small desk lamp in a corner. The room smelled awful, like damp, rotting food.

When he spoke again, I jumped, surprised to find he was right next to me. 'Why would you want to be with him? Furthermore, why would he want to be with you? You're a filthy muggle. A filthy muggle sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong.' I shook my head, recognizing the sound of the voice, but unable to see where he was now that he had moved.

'What are you talking about?' I whispered, my throat hoarse.

'I thought that if I kept reminding you of your story you might quit, fearing for your life. But you didn't. Even at the funeral, you still wouldn't quit. He told me to kill you. He said that if I killed you, everything would calm down.'

'Who? Who wanted to kill me? Please, please let me go. I promise I won't tell.' Tears streamed down my cheeks, as I pleaded. My eyes started adjusting to the dim light and I could just make out his shape in front of me.

'Do you really think I'd let you go? You know too much. You shouldn't know anything, you're a muggle. A filthy muggle. The only thing worse than you is a mudblood. But he just had to tell you, just had to fall in love. Regulus would be offended to have you anywhere near his family. It's a good thing he's not alive to see his brother dating you. Dating muggle scum.' He spit in my face and I closed my eyes, feeling a headache grow behind my eyes.

Tears continued toslide down my cheeks and I couldn't brush them away. My wrists strained against the ropes, and I could feel a small trickle of blood run down my hand. 'Michael. Michael, please. Please just let me go.'

'I'm not going to let you go,' he whispered into my ear. 'You're going to beg for me to kill you once I'm done with you.'

My eyes widened in fear and my heart pounded in my chest. 'Help!' I screamed, hoping and praying someone could hear me. 'Help me! Someone, please help me!'

'Don't scream,' Michael yelled, his fist hitting my jaw. 'No one can hear you. I'd placed a silencing charm over this room, no one but me can hear you.'

Terrified, I ceased screaming, choosing instead to sob with tears streaming down my cheeks. 'Please,' I begged. 'Please just let me go.'

He leaned down, looking directly into my eyes. 'No.' He stepped back, pulling his wand from his pocket and pointed it directly at me. 'Crucio!'

I screamed again as wave after wave of excruciating pain washed over me. I screamed until my throat was raw and finally, the pain vanished. Breathing heavily, I gasped for air, trying to calm the sobs that sounded my throat. 'I told you that you would beg for death. 'Crucio,' he yelled again and I gasped as the pain started again.

'Just kill me,' I pleaded when the pain stopped. 'Please stop and kill me.'

'No,' he said softly, putting the wand back in his pocket. 'No, I don't think I will.' His hand ran through my hair, brushing a few locks from my cheek that had stuck there from the salty, wet tears. 'I'll be back.'

He left, leaving me alone in the darkened room. I wasn't sure how long I'd been locked up. There were no windows, only one door, and no clocks. There was no way for me to tell the time. Was Sirius looking for me? Was there any hope that he could find me?

I struggled to turn to look behind me, to see how my hands were tied. It was tight; I knew that, dried blood chipping on my hands. The skin on my wrists was raw and every time I moved, the rope rubbed against the red skin, sending lightening bolts of pain up my arm. There was no possible way I could get the rope untied and even if I did, how would I escape? Michael could use magic, and I stood no change against that. I would just have to wait until he either killed me or Sirius came to rescue me. All I could pray for was the latter.

How had I not known? So many times he appeared out of thin air; so many times he seemed to know more than he should. I should have guessed and if not me, then Sirius would have if I had told him everything.

I waited; waited for him to come back. I don't know how long it took, but when he returned he brought food. 'I'm going to untie your hands so you can eat. It's not like you could run away or hurt me anyway.' He leaned down behind me, and I soon found my hands free. Bring them around, I gently rubbed my wrists, slowly bringing the feeling back in to them. Each wrist had a trickle of blood running down to my fingers from where the rope had rubbed my skin. 'Eat.'

Pushing the food towards me, he sat back against a wall, watching me closely. 'Don't worry, it's not poisoned. I don't want to kill you yet.'

I glanced over at him, strangely finding I believed him. Even though I was starving and hadn't eaten since lunch, whenever that was, I picked at the food. It wasn't much, a sandwich of sorts and some crisps, but I should be thankful I had gotten something. 'How long have I been here?' I asked quietly, trying not to look at him.

'Almost three days. You were asleep for nearly two days. I didn't think it would take that long for the spell to wear off.'

Almost three days. Sirius had to be looking for me now, but would he find me? Could I hope that he would find me, saving me from this hell?

'No, your boyfriend won't find you. He doesn't have a clue where to look.' Michael laughed loudly and I cringed. 'All right, you're through. Incarcerous,' he said loudly, and ropes appeared out of his wand, wrapping around my wrists, causing the raw skin to rub against it. The tray of food vanished and strangely, I was surprised.

I looked up at him, terrified of the look in his eyes. 'No, please. Michael…' I cried, pain from my wrists running through my arms.

'Please what? What Krista?' Michael knelt in front of me, his hand caressing my cheek.

'Please just let me go.' I sobbed, I cried, tears once again streaming down my cheeks.

'No,' he whispered, standing up and walking back a few steps. He pulled his wand from his pocket, once again pointing it at me.

I shook my head quickly back and forth. 'Please no. No!' I screamed, bracing for the intense and excruciating pain I knew was coming. Squeezing my eyes shut, my entire body tensed.

'Didn't you ever wonder what happened to Christopher? Or wonder what killed Liz?'

I opened one eye to find him staring down at me, his wand dropped to his side. 'What?'

'Didn't you ever wonder why Christopher ended up the way he did? Why he had to be institutionalized?'

'Yes, all the time but…'

'It was me,' he said, interrupting me. 'It was all me. He was getting too close, too curious about why so many people were dying. The Dark Lord gave me the job of taking care of him. It wasn't difficult.' He began pacing back and forth in front of me. His voice sped up and he began talking quickly, so fast it took me a minute to catch up to what he was saying.

'All I had to do was threaten him a few times, warn him that he was getting in over his head. He was nervous, do you remember that? He was jittery all the time, and so nervous. He never even saw it coming. I cornered him after work, erased his memory and sent him off. And then you got the job.

'I figured you would be easier than him. You'd listen to me if I gave you suggestions, but you never even asked! You ignored me when I offered them. I tried to take you out, to shift you in a different direction, but you were always busy.'

'I…' I whispered, unsure of what to say, unsure of what I could say that would cause him to hurt me. 'I'm sorry.'

He laughed bitterly and I cringed, waiting for the pain. 'No you're not. You were happy with him. You didn't care about me. You kept going, kept at it. Not even being attacked in your own home caused you to leave the story. I warned you!'

'That was you,' I whispered. 'You were the one who attacked me.'

'Who else did you think it would be? Who else knew you were moving, and when he would be there?'

'I… I can't believe you would do that,' I whispered through my tears. 'You could have killed me…'

'No, now I'll kill you.' He stepped back, raising his wand and pointing it directly at my face. 'By the way, I killed Liz too.' I squeezed my eyes shut, Liz's face smiled in my mind, praying rapidly, hoping for a miracle. 'Avada Ked…'

'Expelliarmus!' Someone yelled, a different voice, one that sounded familiar but I couldn't place it.I froze, waiting for the pain, for something. 'Incarcerous,' the same voice yelled.

'Krista.' I slowly opened one eye, and then the other. 'Oh thank Merlin you're alive.' Someone knelt next to me, slowly untying the ropes around my wrists. 'Oh Kris.'

'Sirius!' He pulled me off the chair and onto his lap, holding me tight against his chest. His hands brushed my hair and he kissed my forehead.

'Sirius, mate, we need to get out of here. She needs to get to the hospital and we need to get him to the Ministry.' Now I recognized the voice, it was James' voice, but I couldn't make out his face.

I buried my face in his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck as best as I could. Now that I was free, I noticed the extreme pain in my arm, wrists and face. 'I'm going to carry you out of here. You're safe now, I promise. I've got you.' His lips brushed my cheek as he stood up slowly, taking care not to jostle me too much.

'He… he killed her… he tried to kill me…' I mumbled, my face still buried in his chest. 'He erased Christopher's memory…'

'Shh, don't talk. I'm going to cover your eyes, it's really bright outside.' A dark shirt was placed over my head, blocking out the light. 'I love you,' he whispered, his lips brushing against my cheek again. 'Don't worry, I've got you now, you're safe.'

He stood up, holding me close to his chest. He carried me up some stairs and out through a door. Even through the tee shirt, the outside light was bright and I squinted, closing my eyes tight. 'James and Remus are taking care of him, he won't bother you anymore. I'm going to bring you to the hospital so hold tight. Don't worry, I have you and I'm not letting go.'

I squeezed my arms around his neck, making sure I was holding tight. One minute we were standing in the bright sun and the next we were under an overcast sky. Sirius pulled the tee shirt off my eyes and I slowly opened them, staring into his face.

'Sirius Black and guest.' He said to the mannequin before stepping through the glass. We walked up to the desk and I….

* * *

**AN: Told ya'll it wouldn't take me forever to update! Thanks to: HpC0ldplay, Gyngir_ 1687, the_werewolf_gal, grumpypirate, MissaRissa, and Raxsah003 for reviewing. You are all awesome!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's been in my head for a LONG while and I hope it turned out as well as I planned. Please leave a review on your way out and let me know what you thought! Thanks a bunch!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

When I woke up, sunlight was streaming in through the window. Stretching my legs, I yawned, but kept my eyes closed, blocking out the majority of thesunlight. I heard Sirius snoring near me and before even opening my eyes, I shifted so I could cuddle up to him. After reaching my arm out and not finding him there, the activities from the previous few days flooded back into my consciousness. I sat up in the bed, glanced around wildly before screaming in terror.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone jump, pull something from their pants and turn around quickly. 'Oi,' the man yelled, still spinning around before his eyes rested on me. 'Krista,' he said softly, shoving the wand back in his pants before sitting next to me on the bed.

I had stopped screaming, tears streaming down my cheeks instead. Everything that happened came rushing back in an instant. I remembered Michael, cursing me and causing me to feel excruciating pain. I remembered being kicked, hit and spit on. But I also remembered Sirius coming to my rescue.

'Hey, you're all right. Nothing's going to hurt you now. I've got you.' He slid up the bed, pulling me towards him and wrapping his arms around me. Kissing my forehead, his fingers ran through my hair, rubbing my shoulder and back. He whispered in my ear, telling me everything would be fine, that I was safe now.

'How… how did I get here? I remember you getting me and that's it.' I leaned into him, my arm left arm wrapped around front, tears streaming down my cheeks. My right arm was in a sling, wrapped in a bandage and I couldn't remember what happened to cause that. His voice was low and soft, and rumbled in his chest.

'I apparated us here and you fainted when we got to the main desk.'

'We heard a scream. Is everything okay in here?' I heard a woman's voice from the doorway, but couldn't bring myself to look up. I just wanted to stay right where I was, being held by the man I loved.

'She had a nightmare, but everything's fine now,' Sirius replied, placing a soft kiss on the top of my head.

I never heard the woman leave, but assumed she had once Sirius started talking to me once again. 'Hey, look at me.' He pulled away a few inches and tilted my chin up so I could look in his eyes. 'You're all right.'

'I…' I started, my voice hoarse. 'He tried to kill me. If you hadn't shown up… he… he would have killed me,' I managed to whisper.

He tensed, his grip on me tightening. 'You're fine. He won't hurt you now.'

'What… what happened to him?' I asked, pulling back from him. 'Where is he?'

'Prongs brought him to the ministry and they most likely took him to Azkaban.' His fingers were tracing circles on my arms, avoiding my eyes.

'That's the wizard prison, right?' Sirius didn't answer; instead he brought my hand to his lips and gently kissed the back. 'Sirius, are you not going to answer me?'

I might be injured, terrified and upset, but now I was pissed as well. 'We're going to talk about this later,' he whispered, smiling slightly. 'Do you need anything? Water? Food?'

'No, I'm fine. What do you mean, 'we're going to talk about it later?''

'You're in this hospital; we don't need to talk about this now.' Standing up from the bed, Sirius walked to the window, pulling the curtains closed shutting out the bright sunshine. 'I'll let you ask anything you want, once we're home.'

Nodding, I glanced down at my hands, picking at my fingernails. 'He… Michael was the one who killed Liz. He erased Christopher's memory.' I paused, leaving my fingers to meet his eyes. 'He's the one who attacked me… when I was moving out of my flat.'

Sirius sighed softly, crossing the room and taking my chin in his hand, gently pressing his lips to mine. 'I promise,' he said when he pulled back, his breath warm on my lips. 'I promise that he will never touch you again. You don't have to worry about being safe.'

I nodded, not wanting to say what I was thinking. Dorcas and Marlene were supposed to be safe as well. They knew magic and were still murdered. I don't know anything, how was he going to keep me safe?

'How bad was I injured?' I reached up a hand to brush back my hair, finding it frizzy and partially still pulled back in a ponytail.

He stiffened for a moment before squeezing my hand. 'Your right arm was broken, as was your nose. You have a black eye, a few broken ribs and a twisted ankle.'

'What do you mean, was broken?'

He smiled over at me with the smile he reserved just for me. 'The healers fixed both your arm and nose. It's amazing what a little magic will do.'

'Why do I have on a sling if my arm is fixed?' I glanced down at the white linen, picking at it with my fingers.

'We have to at least put on a show of you being injured. We want to minimize your involvement with magic as much as possible.'

I nodded, strangely understanding completely. 'I must look awful.'

'You look beautiful, just like always,' he said with a smile. I was glad he was trying to make me feel better, but I didn't believe him in the slightest.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the pillows. 'May I ask a question?'

'Of course. Will I answer it? Maybe.' He smiled cheekily at me and I shook my head.

'Who was there? Who… rescued me?' I asked softly, hoping for an answer.

Sliding off the bed, Sirius sat in the chair nearest the bed. 'Well me, obviously. Prongs and Moony were there too.'

'I remember hearing James' voice,' I said softly, images from the previous day flashing through my mind.

'Yeah, he was there. Moony was in the background, searching the house for any other people. We wanted to make sure we got you out as safe as possible.'

'Thank you,' I whispered, tears filling my eyes. 'Thank you for rescuing me.'

Reaching out, Sirius took my hand in his, kissing the back gently. 'If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have needed saving.' He shook his head and forced a smile. 'Let me go find a healer and see if we can't get you out of here today.' Standing up, he placed a soft kiss on my forehead before walking out of the room.

I looked around, suddenly terrified to be alone. Someone walked down the hallway and I looked quickly to check who it was. Lying back, I closed my eyes and tried to calm my pounding heart. What was wrong with me? I used to be a fairly independent person, but now I could barely stand to be alone. I was terrified all because of my relationship with Sirius. Without him, I would never have been kidnapped, kicked, injured and nearly killed. But, I would also most likely still be pining over Ian.

When Sirius returned a few minutes later, I was breathing normally and my heartbeat had slowed. I forced a smile when he entered that turned into a bright grin when I saw the Healer. I had spent enough time in this wizard hospital and I wanted to go. Between now and when Sirius was here a few months ago I had met half the Healers on this floor along with their nurses.

'Ms. Thomas? The Healers have cleared you to leave,' the woman said with a bright smile. 'We do ask that you not tell anyone about this. Just mention you were in a muggle hospital if you are asked. You will have to come in for a check-up next week. Auror Black knows exactly where to take you,' the woman said with a sly smile.

'Don't worry, I won't say a word.' I grinned over at Sirius, thankful I could return home and curious about how many times Sirius had actually been in this hospital.

'You ready?' Sirius asked, looking down at me.

'I've been ready since I woke up earlier.' Slowly, I swung my legs over the bed, startled to see the bruises on my ankles and knees. I struggled to ignore them as I took the clothes Sirius was handing me. 'I'll just run into the bathroom to change.'

'See you next week Ms. Thomas,' the Healer said before walking out and leaving us alone.

I smiled at Sirius before limping to the bathroom, my ankle only causing a little pain. 'Kris,' he started crossing the room in a few steps. 'I love you.' He leaned down and kissed me, my eyes closing as soon as his lips hit mine. I reached my arm up, wrapping around his neck and pulling him down to me.

'I love you too,' I whispered, feeling the blush creep up my cheeks.

'Go change so we can get out of here.'

I shut myself in the bathroom before closing my eyes and leaning against the door. The only thing I wasn't looking forward to about going home was going back to work. Sure, Michael wasn't going to be there, but who knows if there were other people, other evil wizards lurking around my office. Sirius didn't even know about Michael, were there other evil wizards he didn't know about?

Forcing myself to change, I peeled off the plain hospital pyjamas, tossed them on the loo. I pulled the jeans up and buttoned them, then pulled my favourite sweater over my head. Sirius knew exactly what clothes to get and it brought a smile to my face. After pulling up my socks and sliding my feet into my trainers, I forced myself to look at my reflection in the mirror.

I certainly did have a black eye; my entire left eye was swollen and black, with purple around the edge. My nose had a small crook to it that wasn't there before and when I pulled my sweater to the side, my shoulder was also bruised, blue and purple radiating from my collarbone.

'Are you okay in there?' Sirius called, knocking on the door.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled my sweater back onto my shoulder and opened the door, smiling up at my loving boyfriend. 'Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't realize how bruised I was.'

He frowned and shook his head slowly. 'Yeah, you are pretty bruised up. You're staying home from work for a few days at least. I've already called the office and spoke to your boss.'

'When did you do that?' I asked, cocking my head to the side.

'You've been asleep since yesterday; I've had plenty of time.' He put his arm around my shoulder and hugged me tightly to his chest.

I pulled back in shock. 'What? What day is it?'

'Tuesday, 17 March. I brought you here yesterday, three days after you…' he trailed off, a strange look on his face. 'I was so worried. The Healers said you'd be fine, but…'

'You still worried,' I said softly. 'That's how I felt when you were here. Everyone said you'd be fine, but I still worried.'

Sirius nodded and pulled me back to him. 'I love you. No one's going to hurt you anymore. I…'

'Don't you dare promise.'

'Why not?'

'Because if something happens and I get hurt again, you're going to kick yourself and then I might have to kick you. I know you love me and you want to keep me safe, but sometimes you just can't. You never would have seen this coming. Who would have thought Michael was this creepy?'

'All right, I understand. Let's get out of here, shall we?'

I nodded vigorously up and down. 'Yes please.'

Handing me a set of crutches from the corner, Sirius picked up a bag from the table and we walked out of the room. We took the lift down and out to the main lobby. Now I remembered some of yesterday. I remembered Sirius pulling something from my eyes and then walking up to the woman at the desk, the Welcome Witch, the sign read.

'I had Lily bring over your car so we wouldn't have to apparate,' he said, leading me out to the car.

'Thank you. When was she here?'

Sirius opened the car door for me, tossing the bag into the backseat along with the crutches. 'She stopped by this morning to see how you were doing and brought a bag with some of your clothes for me. I figured you wouldn't want to walk out in hospital pyjamas.'

'Thanks.' I slid my legs in and let him shut the door before walking around and sliding into the driver's seat.

'Anywhere you need to go? Or just straight home?' Sirius asked, sticking the key into the ignition and starting the car.

'Home please. I just need to relax.'

We drove home in near silence, the radio keeping us both occupied. I hummed along to a Beethoven Symphony as I watched out the window, trees speeding by. We pulled up to a stop sign and I sighed, surprisingly content to be here with him.

'What are you sighing?' Sirius asked, glancing at me before driving again.

'Strangely, I'm happy. As weird as it is, I'm just happy to be here with you. Even though my ankle is killing me and I'm getting a headache.'

'Well I'm happy to be here with you too. Even though you gave me a heart attack.' He reached a hand across the console and took mine in his.

When we pulled up outside the flat, I smiled, happy to be home after five days away. Sirius helped me out of the car and limp into the house, leaving the crutches in the backseat. Once I was settled on the couch, Sirius sat next to me, taking my hand in his and squeezing it lightly. 'Do you want anything?'

'Answers,' I said simply and he stared. 'You said we'd talk about this later. Well, it's later and we're home. I ask and you answer.'

'Kris, don't you want to rest for a bit? Sleep or eat first?' His voice was almost whining as he pleaded.

'No. Sirius, please. We've been together for nearly five months; I've been attacked in my apartment and almost killed the other day. Don't you think I deserve to know what's going on? You don't have to tell me everything; I understand there are some things I probably shouldn't know. But… please. Please just tell me what I want to know.'

He looked up at me, meeting my eyes before nodding. 'Do you at least understand why I don't want to tell you? Do you understand I just want to keep you safe?'

'Yes,' I said softly. 'I understand. You want to keep me safe and you think that not telling me anything will do that. Well, I hate to remind you, but keeping me in the dark doesn't work. I still got hurt, badly.'

'All right. There are still some things you don't need to know, but I'll try to answer everything else.' He leaned back against the couch cushions and turned to face me.

'He… Michael, he… he used a something… he yelled something like "cru-see-yo." Or something like that. What was that?'

'Oh Kris,' Sirius sighed. 'It's one of the Unforgivable Curses. If you're caught using it, you can be sentenced to time in Azkaban.'

'That's the Wizard Prison?' When he nodded, I took a deep breath, hoping I would get an answer to the next question. 'How bad is it?'

Standing up, he crossed the room, staring out the window. I almost took back my question, asking another in its place, but he closed his eyes and started talking. 'I've only been once; James and I took a tour with Dumbledore once. It was awful. People… the prisoners were screaming, insane.' He visibly shuddered before turning back to look at me. 'I never, ever want to go back there.' I met his eyes, shocked by what I found. I could see his terror, his fear.

'How bad is it really? The news programs don't tell anything; it's like the rest of the world doesn't know there's this fight going on. What's really happening?'

'Krista,' he said softly, turning back to face me. Crossing the room, he sat next to me, looking directly into my eyes. 'It's bad. Wizards and muggles are being murdered; it's nearly impossible to tell which people are friends and which aren't. Every minute I'm not with you, I'm working to fix this. I'm trying to capture the people who are causing it.

'It hurts because I know I can't stop this and I can't keep you as safe as I want. Maybe one day, but not now.'

'I'm sorry,' I said softly. 'I hope one day you can be happy.'

Sirius shook his head with a small smile. 'You misunderstand. I'm very happy. I love that I can come home from work and see you. I love waking up in the morning and being able to roll over to kiss your bare shoulder.'

My cheeks blushed bright pink as I looked at him. 'Even though you drive me absolutely crazy, I do love you.'

'Good, because I love you too.'

* * *

**AN: Wow. 200+ reviews! 11 for the last chapter alone! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed: Dino_Flavored_Ramen, LadyStrider17, HpC0ldplay, Revenge_Against_Mortality, Saffygirl, Allen_Pitt, Snuffles-sweetie, horsegirl4eva, grumpypirate, MissaRissa and Raxsah003. You are all awesome! Hope you liked this latest chapter. Sirius will answer more questions in the next one, I promise! Please leave a review on your way out to let me know what you thought. Thanks so much for reading!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

'Hey Kris.' I heard my name called through the haze of my dream. 'Krista,' the voice said again before placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

I stretched my arm over my head, the other trapped in a sling, before opening my eyes and looking up into Sirius'. 'Good morning,' I said softly, wincing as a pain shot through my ribs.

'It's afternoon, nearly one. You slept a long time.' He was leaning on his side, supporting his head with his hand. Reaching over, he brushed a lock of hair off my face and kissed my cheek. He looked at me so lovingly; the thought crossed my mind that I couldn't possibly deserve him.

'One? Oh goodness.' I sat up quickly, wincing again as my ribs moved.

'Are you okay? Don't sit up so quickly.' He sat up with me, placing a hand on my back and helping me up. 'Do you want lunch? I'll fix you anything you want.'

I turned so that I was facing him and took his hand in mine. 'Know what I want most of all?'

'What?'

'For you to relax. I'm fine. Let me take a shower and you can fix whatever _you_ want. I'm so hungry I could eat just about anything.'

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. 'All right. Go shower.'

I swung my legs off the bed and stood up carefully, grimacing as pain shot up through my leg from my sprained ankle. 'Are you okay?' He jumped up from the bed and made to race around the bed.

'Sirius,' I exclaimed, limping over to the wall where I could steady myself. 'Go away; I can do it.'

'Going, going,' he said, holding up his hands in surrender and sneaking out the door.

I shook my head, and limped into the bathroom, sitting on the loo so I could turn on the shower and strip out of my clothes and sling. Sliding carefully over, I sat in the tub and turned the water up high. It ran over me and I shut my eyes, breathing in the steam and letting the water relax my muscles. It stung a few of my bruises, but all in all, felt amazing.

My fingers and toes were pruned by the time I turned off the water. Once I climbed out, I dressed, wrapped myself in my fuzzy bathrobe, and slipped my feet into slippers. Padding slowly and carefully downstairs, I sat at the table and waited for Sirius to notice me. 'So, what are we having?'

He jumped, nearly knocking over a glass on the counter. 'Merlin's beard you scared me.'

'Sorry,' I said softly with a grin.

'Lunch my love, is a tuna salad sandwich with a side of potato salad.' He placed a plate down in front of me and one opposite me.

'Mm sounds good.' I picked up my fork and took a bite of the potato salad, amazing.

'James and Lily are going to stop by for a bit later, if you don't mind. They were worried I wasn't taking good enough care of you,' Sirius said through bites of his sandwich. 'And I believe your mum wanted to stop by as well. She's just worried about you.'

I nodded and finished chewing before responding. 'I figured. What did you tell her about why I was in the hospital?'

'The same thing everyone else thinks, Michael went crazy and kidnapped you. Prongs and I found you, and here you are.'

'All right, I can remember that.' I looked down at my plate, suddenly feeling like I wanted to cry.

'Kris, what's wrong?'

Sniffling, I look up at him with a sad smile. 'I don't know,' I said with a shrug, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. 'Is there anything else I should know? Something I forgot to ask yesterday? Something I wouldn't have ever thought to ask?'

He looked confused for a moment, and then as if a light bulb clicked on, he shook his head. 'You know I'm not going to willingly tell you anything.'

I nodded, already knowing that was going to be his response, but I still couldn't hold back the torrent of tears that was no cascading down my face. 'I'll be fine,' I whispered before standing up and limping as quickly as I could up the stairs.

Why was I having a breakdown now of all times? It took me nearly five minutes to control my sobs and slow my breathing down to a normal rate. Thankfully, Sirius didn't come to investigate and I was left alone.

Fifteen minutes after I came upstairs, the doorbell ran and I heard Sirius open it and greet the guests warmly. Lily and James's voices carried up the stairs and I couldn't help but smile at how happy they all sounded. There was no trace of worry about the war or anything bad. How could they act like this? Were they just immune to the terror and worry?

I slowly made my way to the bathroom sink and washed my face, thankfully that my eyes weren't as red and bloodshot as I had assumed. After applying my makeup, eyeliner and lip gloss, I quickly changed into jeans and an old tee before returning to the downstairs to greet our visitors.

'Krista!' Lily cried, jumping up from the couch when she saw me. 'How are you? Come, sit down. James, move out of the way and let her sit!'

'I'm moving,' he grumbled, but his face was grinning. He stood up and took my hand, helping me sit down. I rolled my eyes, already tired of be treated like an invalid.'You look better than when we saw you the other day. That's a nice shiner. Almost as bad as the one Lindsay Connors gave you, remember Padfoot? He dumped her right before Winter Holidays; I thought she would never stop hitting him.'

I looked up curiously, waiting for James to say more, but no such luck.'Hem,' Sirius coughed, glaring at his best friend. 'Ix-nay on the irlfriends-gay.'

'How are you feeling?' Lily asked after I was settled on the couch, ignoring our guys.

'I'm fine, really. My ankle hurts if I put too much weight on it and if I breathe too quickly my ribs ache, but other than that, I'm fine. My arm barely hurts.' I forced a smile, attempting to pull my hair back with one hand.

'Good, we were all worried about you. I thought Padfoot was going to go crazy looking for you.'

I looked up at Sirius, slightly surprised to hear that. He nodded, a sad smile crossing his lips. We chit chatted for a few minutes until James stood up, announcing they had to leave. 'We left Harry at Lil's parents and they could only keep him a short while before the hag and her family visited.'

'James,' Lily said, slapping his arm.

'What? She's a hag.' He shrugged at me and I just smiled, not sure what the appropriate reaction was.

Lily rolled her eyes and turned to me. 'My sister. She wants nothing to do with us, and that includes Harry. James is fond of calling her an old hag.'

'She is,' he said, leaning towards me in an exaggerated whisper.

I tried to hide my smile, but gave up when James winked at me, sending me into immature giggles. 'Thanks for coming over. It's nice to have company other than him.' I pointed conspicuously over at Sirius.

'If you need anything,' Lily said as she stood up. 'Just give me a call.'

'I will thanks. Sorry if I don't get up to walk you to the door.' I shrugged, glancing down at my sprained ankle.

'Don't even,' Lily wagged her finger at me, taking her coat from Sirius.

James bent down and kissed my cheek softly. 'Like Lily said, just give us a call. I'll get Padfoot out of your hair.'

'I'm going to walk them to the door. I'll be right back.' Sirius squeezed my hand before following them out.

I turned, sliding on the couch so that I was lying down, my sprained ankle elevated on a few throw pillows. They said goodbye from the doorway and then came the loud crack, causing me to jump in my seat.

Sirius returned a few minutes later, sitting down next to me on the couch. He picked up my legs, resting my feet on his lap. There were a few questions I wanted to ask, but wasn't sure if I should. Oh well, might as well go for it.

'Who was James talking about? Lindsey Connors?'

Sirius ignored me, continuing to watch the images flash on the telly. Did I want to press the matter, or just leave it alone? Unfortunately, my curiosity got the better of me and I continued to ask.

'Sirius?' He turned, a distracted look on his face. 'Are you going to answer me? Who was James talking about?'

'An old girlfriend,' he said, turning back to the show.

I sighed and shook my head. 'Yeah, I got that. Come on, you know all about my short and boring dating history and I know nothing about yours. Please?' I flashed my begging face, my lips pouted.

He glanced over at me and broke into a smile. 'Fine. Lindsey was an old girlfriend I broke up with. One of many.'

'How many?' I had to ask and he paused for a moment, his lips pursed as he thought. 'Wow, if it takes that long to count, I'm not sure I want to know.'

'Twenty-seven, if I counted correctly.'

My jaw dropped. 'Twenty-seven? You're joshing me!'

'Wish I was, love.'

'I thought Lily was lying! You really were a…'

'A very attractive man?' He supplied, puffing out his chest.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. 'Sure, that's… um… one answer. I was going to say man-whore, but yours works. I'm kidding,' I exclaimed when I saw the pretend hurt look on his face.

'Sure. But honestly, I did have a lot of girlfriends. I broke a lot of hearts in school, but you are the first one I've ever loved. You are the only one that matters now.' He leaned over and took my hands in his. 'I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger and will continue to make them. But,' he leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. I kissed him back, wishing my ribs didn't ache.

'But,' he said again, pulling away. 'I love you. And that is one thing I'm certain isn't a mistake.'

'I love you too,' I whispered against his lips. I wrapped my free arm around his neck, pulling him into me. 'I wish I wasn't in so much pain,' I whispered into his ear.

He groaned and his head dropped onto my shoulder. 'Me too. You need to get better because when you do…' he trailed of, winking at me.

A knock on the door pulled us away from each other. 'I should go answer that,' he said, kissing me again.

'It's probably my mother.'

Squeezing my hand, he stood up and walked to the door. 'Good afternoon Mrs. Thomas.'

'Where is my daughter?' I heard my mother ask. She was probably trying to push past him and race into the house. I braced myself for her entrance and intense barrage of questions. 'Krista,' she exclaimed, rushing into the room. 'Oh my baby!'

'Mum, mum I'm fine.' She pulled me towards her, hugging me tightly. I looked at Sirius over her shoulder and rolled my eyes.

'What happened? Sirius said you were hurt and I didn't know what to think! My poor baby!' She dropped her purse on the floor and took my hands tightly in hers.

I nodded, reaching up to brush my hair out of my eyes. 'One of the guys at work went crazy. He wanted my story and thought that hurting me was the way to do it. Sirius found me. It's really not that bad. My ankle and wrist are sprained, I have a few bruised ribs and some black and blues. The only things that hurt are my ribs and ankle.'

'Sirius, it's a good thing you were able to find her. I don't know how we could ever thank you.'

Sirius sat on the arm of the couch just above my head. 'Mrs. Thomas, if anything happened to Krista, I don't know what I would have done.' His hands came down, massaging my shoulders.

'Well, I'll have to tell your brother and sister that you're fine. Alan was getting worried.' My Mum patted my leg with a smile. 'You have such a black eye!'

'I know, I didn't realize how bad it was until this morning.'

'Are you sure you're okay?' My mother looked down at me, still looking very concerned. 'Sirius, would you excuse us for a moment. I need to talk to my daughter.'

After placing a quick kiss on the top of my head, he stood and nodded to my mother. 'Of course. I have a few phone calls to make.'

Phone calls, sure. I don't even believe Sirius knew how to work the phone. I wasn't sure where he disappeared to, but I was now left alone with my mother. 'That young man…' she said, watching down to the kitchen where I assumed he was standing.

'What Mum?'

'He really loves you.' She smiled down at me and I wasn't sure whether or not it was a happy smile.

'I love him. He's been really great.'

I studied my mother's face. Her brown hair was pulled back in a bun, a few wisps framing her face. 'I'm sure he has. I just want you to be happy.'

'I am happy. I haven't been this happy in a while.'

'Good.' She leaned back, studying me. We sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. 'Are you sure everything is fine? You look like you're hiding something, but I can't put my finger on it.'

'Yes Mum, I'm sure everything's fine. How's Dad? Everything good at home?'

I let her babble on for a few minutes, barely listening to her gossip. She was always full of some juicy news, most of which I couldn't be bothered to listen to. 'Okay dear, I'm going to let you get some rest.' She stood up and kissed my head with a smile. 'I'll give you a call tomorrow to make sure you're all right.'

'Okay Mum, love you.'

'Love you too dear.' She picked up her purse and left; I assumed Sirius showed her out.

'Want some tea or something?' Sirius asked from the kitchen.

'No, thank you. I just want you in here, please.'

He sat next to me a few minutes later and I shifted on the couch so I could rest my head in his lap. His fingers ran through my hair, twirling it around before letting it drop. I loved having people play with my hair, and soon I slowly felt my eyes closing.

'No matter what happens,' I heard him whisper, barely able to concentrate on the words. 'I will always love you. We're going to have a rough few months, but we'll make it through in the end.'

'Mm, what are you talking about?' I asked, half asleep, my eyes still closed.

'Nothing love. Just go to sleep.'

I committed my question to memory, vowing to ask it later when I was fully awake. With my eyes shut, I let my breathing slow, concentrating only how the feeling of Sirius' fingers in my hair.

* * *

**AN: Thank you so much to the following people for reviewing the last chapter: LadyStrider17, Raxsah003, siriusly bi-polar girl, Snuffles-sweetie, HpC0ldplay, grumpypirate, Dino_Flavored_Ramen, and Saffygirl. Hop you all enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

'You're sure you don't mind watching Harry while we're at the meeting?' Sirius handed me my coat and I slowly slid my arms into the sleeve, taking care not to move my still injured arm too fast.

'I'm sure. What would I do otherwise? Sit here and wait for you to come back? I'm growing tired of sitting around the house all day. Thank goodness I go back to work soon.' I was lying. I wasn't excited to go back to work soon, I was terrified. What if there were other evil wizards in the office and they wanted to get back at me. What if I got kidnapped again, and this time Sirius didn't rescue me in time.

He handed me my purse from the counter and opened the front doorshaking me from my negative thoughts. 'You don't mind if we take my bike do you? I haven't had a chance to ride it in a while.'

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, not thrilled about the idea. 'Really? It's going to be a bit difficult for me to hold on with one good arm.'

'True…'

'But I suppose I'll be fine. Let's go.' I rolled my eyes as his eyes widened and a grin broke out across his face.

With his hand against the small of my back, we walked through the parking lot to his motorbike. He handed me a helmet from the back and climbed on, letting me sit behind him. I clipped the helmet to my head and wrapped my arms around his waist. 'Just be careful, all right? You know I hate this thing.'

Sirius tossed my purse and James' birthday gift into the cubby on the side of the stuck the key in the ignition and started it up, revving the engine so loudly, I could barely hear myself think. Letting out a bark-like laugh, he kicked back the kickstand and off we went. I laughed in spite of myself, loving the fast speed and the trees blowing by us.

The forty-five minute trip only took twenty minutes. Even though this happened every time we drove to the Potter's, I still found myself surprised. 'I heard you laughing back there,' he said after taking the helmet from me. 'Thought you hated my bike?'

'I do. I just… got caught up in the moment." I shrugged, feeling my cheeks glow bright pink.

'Sure you did,' he said with a grin, reaching out and taking my hand in his.

Rather than knock on the door like a normal person, Sirius let himself in the house. 'Prongs, Evans!'

'Evans?' I asked, not knowing who he was talking about.

'Lily's maiden name. It's what Prongs and I used to call her back in school, drives her crazy.'

As if on cue, Lily came into the living room, wiping her hands on a dishrag. 'Sirius, in case you didn't get the memo, I'm married isn't my name anymore. Hey Krista.' She hugged me tightly before leading us into the house. 'Thanks so much for watching him. My parents are busy tonight and my only other option was to stay home.'

'I don't mind at all. This'll give me something to do. I've been cooped up in the house long enough.'

'Here, have a seat. I'll go get Harry. Sirius, James is around here somewhere. He's pouting since we have to go out on his birthday.'

I sat on the couch while Sirius went off to find James. Their house was so comfy, so welcoming. It still was a bit strange to see a telly in the corner. I would never have thought wizards watch TV.

'Here we go,' Lily said as she walked back into the living room with Harry on her hip. She put him down near a small pile of toys. 'He'll probably just play for a few hours. You can give him a bottle around eight-thirty and then put him to bed around nine. We shouldn't be out much longer than that.'

'Sure. Bottle at eight-thirty, bed at nine.' I slid to the floor and picked up one of Harry's stuffed animals and showed it to him, smiling as he giggled and reached out for it.

'So what's new with you?' Lily asked, sliding down so she was sitting next to me.

I shrugged, 'not much. I'm actually anticipating starting work again. I need to get out of the house. Don't get me wrong, Sirius is great company, but…'

'You're tired of being around him. I feel the same way about James at times.'

'Well Lil, ready to go?' James asked, walking into the living room with Sirius following him.

'Sure, let me get my coat.'

'Happy Birthday James,' I said, smiling up at him.

'Thanks, I'm getting old.'

Sirius knelt next to me, kissing me lightly and rolling his eyes at James. "We'll be back soon. The meeting shouldn't take long."

"Thank you so much for watching Harry. I don't know what we would have done otherwise," Lily said as she walked back into the living room.

"I don't mind at all. Harry and I will have fun, won't we?' I reached over and picked him up, placing him on my lap. He giggled and waved a chubby fist in the air. 'Say goodbye to Mummy and Daddy.'

'All right Lil, we have to go or we'll be late.'

'Okay, I'm coming.' She bent down and kissed Harry before following James and Sirius out the front door. 'Bye," the three of them called before leaving me alone with a baby.

'All right Harry, what are we going to do tonight? Mum and Dad are gone, so it's just us.' He looked up at me, his green eyes wide, before giggling and waving around his stuffed dog. 'My thoughts exactly.

We sat on the floor for nearly an hour, playing with toys. I talked while Harry listened and gurgled a response everyone once in a while. 'Are you getting hungry? How about I heat up a bottle for you?'

I made my way to the kitchen and pulled a bottle from the fridge. After searching the cabinets for a small pot, I filled it with water and set it to boil. I picked up Harry from the living room and carried him into the kitchen. The bottle heated quickly and after testing the temperature on my wrist, I carried it and Harry upstairs to his bedroom.

I sat in the rocking chair with Harry on my lap. 'You are just such a handsome baby. And you have the most beautiful eyes, did you know that?

'I really like your Mum and Dad and your Godfather. Maybe one day, Sirius and I will have babies for you to play with. Would you like to have playmates?' He blinked up at me, sucking happily on the bottle.

'You must think I'm crazy. We've only been dating for five months and I'm already talking about having a family. I think I'm crazy.'

He finished the bottle and I rocked back and forth, as Harry's eyes began slowly closing and then opening, as if he was fighting off sleep. Thinking of the first lullaby I could, I started humming. In no time at all, he nodded off to sleep.

I continued rocking until I was sure he was out, then slowly stood up and put him in his crib, covering him with a blanket. 'Sweet dreams little Harry,' I whispered, kissing my fingers and placing them on his cheek.

Before leaving the room, I shut off the light and clicked on the nightlight. I grabbed the bottle off of the dresser where I had left it and made my way down the stairs as quietly as I could. Now what could I do? I didn't bring a book or anything to work on. Hopefully, they wouldn't be gone much longer.

I wandered the house for a few minutes, smiling at pictures on the walls. The occupants waved, grinned, joked and at times walked out of the frames. In between most of the wizard photographs were some muggle ones of, I assumed, Lily's family. There was one of two small girls, hugging tightly in front of a house. One girl had bright red hair and the other brown. 'Must be Lily and her sister,' I said softly to myself.

Walking downstairs,I clicked on the telly and sat on the couch to wait. Some news program came on, talking about everything bad that possibly happened that day. There was never anything good on the news, it was always bad. My eyes started drooping and I lay my head back against the couch. I struggled to stay awake and concentrated on listening for any sound from Harry's room upstairs.

'Kris,' someone whispered a short while later.

'Padfoot, I think she's really out.'

I stretched my arms over my head and opened my eyes. James and Remus were staring at me. 'Wow, that's a heck of a way to wake up.' I smiled at Sirius who was sitting next to me on the couch.

'How was Harry?' James asked, sitting down in an armchair across the room.

'Fine. He was asleep by nine, just like Lily said. We played for a bit before his bottle.' I leaned into Sirius and smiled as his arm wrapped around my shoulders, holding me close to his side.

'We should get you home before you fall asleep on the bike.'

I nodded as Sirius hugged me. 'Let me just go say goodbye to Lily. Is she upstairs?'

'Yeah, she went to go check on Harry.'

'I'll be right back.' I stood up and walked as quietly as I could up the stairs. Lily was standing in Harry's room, tucking him in tightly with the blanket I had laid over him earlier. 'We're heading out,' I whispered into the dark room.

'Oh! All right.' Leaning down, she kissed Harry softly and for some reason, the moment grabbed at my heart. I never had the urge to have kids before; I always thought Iwas too young. But watching Lily with her son made me want one of my own. 'Thanks for watching him," she said after shutting the bedroom door.

'No problem. It was easy.' She smiled slyly at me and I stopped mid-step down the stairs. 'What?'

'So when are you and Sirius going to get married and have kids?'

My jaw dropped and I was frozen for a moment. 'Umm, wow, I… we've only been together for five months. It's a bit early to think about that.'

'Yes, but he loves you, and you love him. It's just a matter of time before he asks you.'

'You think?'

She nodded. 'I overheard him talking to James. What would you say? If you don't mind my asking.'

'I… I never really thought about it. I'd probably say yes, I suppose.' I felt my cheeks blush bright pink and started to descend the stairs, rather than wait for her to ask any other questions I wasn't ready for.

James, Sirius and Remus were in deep discussion when I reached the bottom step. When they caught sight of me, they wrapped up quick. 'You ready to go?' Sirius asked, standing up.

'Sure, if you are.' I walked across the room to hug James and Remus bye. 'Anytime you need a sitter, let me know.'

'We will. Take care, muggle.' I stepped back and dropped my jaw in mock shock.

'James Potter!' Lily scolded from across the room.

'What?' He shrugged his shoulder and winked at me.

Rolling my eyes I stepped over and hugged Remus. 'You should stop by soon. Sirius can always use company aside from me.'

'I'll try,' he said with a sad smile.

'Bye everyone,' we called before walking out the door to his bike.

The entire trip home, my mind was on what Lily said. Would he propose? What would I say if he did? Could I marry him and deal with all the magical drama he carried with him?

'You look deep in thought,' he commented when we pulled up to the house.

'Yeah, I was thinking about something Lily said.' I handed him my helmet and retrieved my purse from the cubby.

'Oh? Mind if I ask what she said?'

'Yes, I do mind.' I took his hand and together we walked into the house. 'Where was Peter? He didn't come back with you guys.'

Sirius shrugged as he unlocked the door. 'I don't know. He didn't make it to the meeting. Prongs is going to call him tomorrow and find out where he was.'

'So what was the meeting for tonight?' I asked nonchalantly, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filling it with water.

'Nothing you need to worry about.'

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my water. 'That's what you always say.'

'And that's because it's the truth.' He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close to his chest. 'You know why I don't tell you everything.'

I put my glass back on the counter. 'Yes,' I said softly. I took a deep breath and turned around so that I was facing him. Looking up into his grey eyes, I tried to find the strength to say what I needed to say. 'I'm scared.'

'Why? What are you scared of?' He looked down at me, looking so worried.

'Well, a couple things actually. First off, I'm not sure I want to go back to work next week.' I leaned back against the counter, dropping his hands and crossing my arms across my chest. 'What if there are others there, like Michael? What if they try to hurt me again?'

'No one will hurt you again, I promise.' He sounded so sure of it, I wanted to believe him.

'How can you promise? You aren't going to be there to protect me.' He opened his mouth to either defend himself or argue, but I stopped him. 'I don't want to argue. You asked and I told you.'

He nodded. 'All right, what else are you scared of?'

'Are we going too fast? I mean, I keep thinking about things I should be thinking about after only dating for five months.'

He smiled and dropped his head, shaking it back and forth. 'What did Lily say to you?'

'Nothing. It wasn't her.'

'Krista, this is a strange time, not only for you but for me as well. People I know are dying every day and I don't know if I can make plans for next week, let alone next year. All around us, people are doing crazy things, getting married, having kids, just because they think they won't have time later.' He closed the gap between us and took my hands in his. Where mine were cold, his were warm and the warmth spread up my fingers and arms. 'We aren't going to do anything crazy and we aren't going to rush things more than we already have. Don't worry. Anything else? Or was that it?'

I took a deep breath, this was the hard one. This was the one I didn't want to say.'I'm worried about you.' There, I finally said it.

'Worried about me? Why?'

I shrugged, not sure how to vocalise my feelings, so I just started talking. 'I don't know. You go off all the time and I never know if you're going to come back. Or, if you do are you going to be in one piece. It scares me that something might happen to you. And it scares me thatI don't know what I'd do if that happened.'

'Krista,' he said softly, pulling me to him. His cheek against the top of my head and I wrapped my arms around his waist. 'I will always find a way back to you. I'm a lot more careful now than I was even six months ago. I can't lose you, and I don't want you to have to worry about , I can't guarantee it, but I can promise that I will try as hard as I can to come back to you.'

'I think that's all that's bothering me.'

'Good.' He pulled back slightly and tilted my chin up. Gently, he pressed his lips to mine, kissing me as softly as he could.

I shut my eyes and let my fingers trail up his muscular chest. Without even thinking about it, I began unbuttoning the buttons and pulling it open. 'What are you doing, love?' Sirius asked, his lips separating from mine for a moment, a smile playing on his lips.

'Unbuttoning your shirt,' I said, my eyes still closed.

'Oh, okay. How about we do this upstairs?' He stepped back and reached down, lifting me up so that I was straddling his waist.

In just a few seconds we were upstairs and he was laying me down on our bed. 'I love you,' he whispered as he crawled up the bed to me.

'I love you too, now kiss me, please.'

* * *

**AN: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. Y'all make me so happy! ****The date for this chapter was March 27, 1981 (James' B-day according to _Deathly Hallows_. So we've still got a few months left until all hell breaks loose.**

**NaNoWriMo starts Sunday, so my updates are going to be a bit more spaced out. I've already got most of the next 2 chapters written, so you'll definitely hear from me next month. I promise I won't do what happened last year and disappear. :)**

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review on the way out!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

April first was my first day back at work after nearly three weeks. I was terrified. I woke up several times throughout the night, each time staring at the clock and wishing time would stop. Three am hit, and I was awake for the day. As hard as I tried, I could not fall back to sleep.

Sirius was snoring in the bed next to me, whimpering at times like a dog. Rolling over, I wrapped my arm around his waist and curled close to his chest. All I wanted was to stay in the bed with him the whole day, cuddled next to him. I sat up, leaning my head against my arm. I lightly traced my finger along his chest, tracing a tattoo he had on his left shoulder. As I gazed down at him, I couldn't help but smile. Six months ago I never would have thought I could be this happy with someone I'd considered a stranger. But then again, I also never thought of magic as being real and here I was, surrounded by it.

I placed a soft kiss on his bare shoulder before climbing out of bed. Picking up my dressing gown from the edge of the bed, I pulled it around myself and made my way as quietly as possible out of the room and down the stairs.

It was still chilly in the house and I pulled the dressing gown tight around me. I busied myself making coffee and trying to keep my mind occupied. Work would start in four hours and I would go back to sit at my desk, frightened. I had worked too hard to get where I was, spent the past five months researching, making phone calls and writing up articles for the paper. There was nothing I could do but suck it up and go.

When the coffee was ready, I fixed myself a cup and went to sit in the living room, in the dark. What could I do for four hours? If I did much housework, Sirius would wake up and be cranky. Instead, I opted to finish my coffee and go back to bed, at least to lie there next to him and feel safe for a few hours.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. At about twenty minutes after four, I heard a light knock on the front door. My heart jumped in my chest and I was terrified to move. When the person knocked again, a bit more insistent this time, I steeled myself and rose, walking slowly to answer.

I gazed through the peephole, feeling my heartbeat slow as I recognized who it was. Reaching over, I unlocked the deadbolt and then the regular lock, bracing myself for a cool burst of air as I opened the door. 'Hey Remus, what are you doing here this early? It's barely four am.'

'Is Sirius here? It's rather important.' He shifted from foot to foot, making the awkward situation even more so.

'Yes, he's upstairs, sleeping, like most normal people at the time of morning.'

He smiled sadly and nodded. 'But we're not normal.'

I couldn't help but smile back. 'Come in; I'll go wake him. He won't be in a good mood though, I can tell you that.'

'I remember from school. Merlin forbid he woke up before nine.' Remus stepped into the house, retreating to the dark living room as I went up stairs.

Creeping as quietly as I could, I walked up the stairs and slowly pushed open our bedroom door. Sirius had shifted in the hour I had been downstairs. He was sprawled out in the middle of the bed, one leg falling off the side and sticking out of the quilt.

I sat on the edge and leaned over, pressing my lips to his cheek. A smile crossed his lips and he snuggled further into the bed. 'Sirius,' I whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. 'You need to wake up.'

'Five more minutes,' he mumbled, rolling over onto his side.

'No, get up please. Remus is downstairs and needs to talk to you.' I shook his shoulder again, smiling as he eyes slowly opened.

'What's ol' Moony doing here? What time is it?' He rubbed his eyes and sat up, glancing around for what I assumed was his tee shirt.

I picked it up from the floor and handed it to him, watching as he pulled it over his head. 'It's about four thirty. All he said was its important.'

'Mm,' Sirius mumbled, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. 'All right, I'm ready.'

He walked out of the room and down the stairs. I wanted to follow, but I figured whatever would bring Remus to our house this early in the morning could only be magic related. Sirius wouldn't want me down there. Granted, that really never stopped me before, but I figured I'd let it go this time.

I busied myself making the bed, even though I figured Sirius would probably just crawl back into it after he was done with Remus. When I finished, I sat on the bed, glancing around the room. It was so strange to see my things mingled with his, our clothes side by side in the closet.

If I strained, I could barely hear their conversation downstairs. Someone sniffled and it sounded like someone was crying. What had happened now? Was everyone okay? James? Lily? Peter?

I managed to keep myself steady and not race down the stairs to see what was wrong. Lying back on the bed, I shut my eyes, listening to the murmurs downstairs.

I felt a pair of lips pressed against mine. I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close.

'You were asleep,' Sirius whispered against my lips.

'Well, it is only,' I glanced at the clock, 'five am. Normal people are sleeping at this hour.'

Sirius smirked. 'Well, love we aren't normal.'

'That's for certain. What did Remus want?' He climbed off me as I sat up, sliding back so that I was sitting up against the headboard.

The smirk on his face fell and he suddenly looked so much older than his 21 years. 'A girl we know, well I knew mostly, was murdered last night. I went out with her in our last year, she was in Ravenclaw. One of the school houses,' he clarified when he saw the confused look on my face.

'Oh Sirius,' I reached a hand over, taking his and squeezing it lightly. 'I'm so sorry.'

He forced a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes, which I now noticed were slightly bloodshot. 'Thanks.' He shook his head and when he looked back at me, the anxious look had left his eyes. 'What time do you need to be at work?'

'Seven. Unfortunately, I should probably shower and eat. If I don't, I'll wind up being late.'

'Are you sure you're ready to go back today? How do you feel?'

I shrugged, not sure how honest I should be with him about my feelings. 'I'm not really ready to go back, but I definitely need to. If I stay here much longer, I might go crazy.' I tried to play it off like I wasn't worried, but I could tell by the look on his face he didn't believe me.

'Krista, you can tell me.'

Biting my lip, I nodded. 'What if there are others there? What if they try to get back at me because of Michael? What if something happens again and you're not there to rescue me?' I sniffled, feeling my eyes well with tears. I hated feeling this dependant on him, but what was I supposed to do? I was in over my head with this and there was no way I could stop it.

He reached out and took my hand tightly in his. Looking directly into my eyes, I heard him promise that nothing would hurt me. 'He shouldn't have gotten to you in the first place. I should have known… should have stopped him.'

'How could you have possibly known? You don't know every single wizard ever…right?'

He shook his head. 'I should have known. Do you want me to go with you? I can stay hidden in your office if you want me to.'

The thought of him hiding under my desk was amusing and I smiled in spite of my tears. 'No. It's a nice thought, but I need to make sure I do this myself.'

'Okay. But I'm going to drive you and pick you up, understand?'

'Yes, Dad,' I said with a smile, but secretly I was extremely happy.

He struggled to glare at me for my comment, but it was quickly replaced with a sneaky smirk. 'I'll show you "Dad,"' he said, his fingers reaching for my sides and tickling me until I cried, tears streaming down my face.

I looked up into his eyes, feeling my heart skip a beat. Man, I loved him, so I told him. 'I love you,' I whispered.

'I love you, too,' he whispered back. 'Now, why don't you shower, and I'll start breakfast.'

'Sounds good.' Sirius crawled off me and held out his hand, pulling me to my feet. He disappeared downstairs and I went into the bathroom, turning on the shower. The steam quickly filled up the bathroom and I stripped out of my pyjamas, climbing into the shower. The hot water poured over my head, slowly clearing away all the negative thoughts.

I slowly washed my hair, shaved my legs and scrubbed my face. When I couldn't postpone it any longer, I turned off the water and grabbed my towel. After drying, I wrapped in my warm dressing gown and walked down the stairs, smelling the eggs and toast cooking on the stove. 'That smells delicious,' I said, sitting down at the table.

'Why thank you.' Sirius winked and placed a steaming hot cup of coffee in front of me before returning to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, he set a steaming plate in front of me and one at his place. He sat down and quickly started eating, practically shoving food into his mouth. I shook my head before digging into my food. The eggs were good, not too runny, not to dry. I could never scramble eggs; I never cooked them enough.

Sirius finished before me and politely waited for me before he jumped up and started his usual morning thing. 'Are you done in the bathroom? I want to shower before driving you to work.'

'Yeah, all I need to do is my makeup and I can do that in the bedroom.' I picked up our plates and brought them to the kitchen, washing them in the sink. I heard Sirius cut on the shower and I stacked the dishes in the strainer, finishing my coffee before heading up the stairs to change and fix my makeup.

I slowly applied my eyeliner, shadow and mascara, and then lipstick and gloss. My black skirt was pulled up and zipped, and the light blue sweater pulled down over my head. I was warm and comfortable.

Catching my reflection in the mirror, I paused and stared for a minute. There were no signs of my kidnapping still left on me. My black eye was gone, as were the scratches and bruises on my face and arms. All that was left were the mental images that appeared in my consciousness. If I closed my eyes, I could still see Michael staring at me; I could still hear his voice telling me he was going to kill me.

'Krista?' Sirius asked and I turned around to see him drying off his hair with a towel, another one wrapped around his waist.

'It's too bad I have to get to work, or I'd rip that towel off.' I tried to play off my silence and make him laugh, but no such luck.

'Are you all right? You don't look so good.' He came over to stand next to me, looking at my reflection.

I nodded, wrapping my arm around his waist and holding myself close to him. 'I'm fine.' Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply. He smelled so fresh and clean, just like soap and his shampoo.

'Okay,' he said, not sounding convinced. 'Let me get dressed and we can go. I'll get you there early.'

'Sounds good.' He squeezed my shoulder and pulled away, heading to the closet.

I sat on the bed and watched him finish getting ready. He was gorgeous. His black hair had grown out in the months I had known him; it was just to his ears now. He dressed quickly, pulling on jeans and a long sleeved shirt. 'Are you ready?'

Glancing back at the clock, I nodded and let him take my hands, pulling me to my feet. We walked down the stairs hand in hand. I grabbed my purse and briefcase from the kitchen chair and followed him out the door, letting him lock it behind us.

I slid into the passenger's seat while Sirius took the driver's seat, sticking the key in the ignition and starting the car. 'Last chance to back out. We could just go back inside and up to bed. I can keep you occupied for the next couple of hours.' He waggled his eyebrows at me and I couldn't hold back the laugh that burst from my throat.

'I don't have much choice. I need to go back or Mr Campbell will end up firing me.' I rested my head against the headrest and watched out the window as he drove from the parking lot.

'Well, we can't have you get fired.'

He drove slowly, quite different from his usual speeding. My thoughts went back and forth between wanting to tell him to turn around and wanting him to keep going. If we went home, I could stay in bed with him all day. If I went to work, I'd have to see people, and get strange looks. There was no one at the office I could talk to, not with Liz dead and Michael a crazy evil wizard.

'Krista, we're here,' Sirius said, interrupting my thoughts. 'Are you sure you're all right?'

'Yes, I'm fine. Don't forget to pick me up at three. If you're late, I might start freaking out.' I wrapped my hand around my purse and briefcase before turning to face him.

'I won't be late,' he said softly. 'If you need me, call me and I'll come by early. I don't have much planned for today anyway.'

Nodding, I leaned forward and kissed him lightly. 'Three o'clock.'

'Yes ma'am. Have a good day.' I rolled my eyes with a smile and opened the door, sliding out and then slamming it shut. When I hit the door, I turned back and waved. Sirius flashed the lights at me before driving off. Well, this was it. I was here.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door and started climbing the steps to my office. The room was quiet and when I opened the door, I found out why. Only two people were at their desks. I glanced quickly at my watch, realised I was nearly thirty minutes early, and took a deep breath, struggling to keep myself calm.

I walked over to my cubicle, dropped my briefcase on the floor. The cubicle was just as I had left it, slightly cluttered, but overall more organized than my house. Sitting at my desk, I looked out into the hallway, feeling more and more like a small child left alone. _Damn it Krista, suck it up and work!_

I forced myself to look over the new items on my desk. I had a small pile of obituaries, suspect lists and articles written by the journalists who had taken over my position while I had been away. Silently, I read through each paper, making notes in my journal and setting some aside to be read again later.

'Oh good, you're here.' I looked up at the sound of the voice. Mr Campbell, my boss, was standing in the doorway.

'Yes, sir,' I replied, not sure what else I could say.

'Do you have a moment? There are a couple things I would like to speak with you about.'

'Yes, sir.' I piled my papers into one neat pile and placed them aside, looking up and waiting.

Mr Campbell stepped into the small room and sat in the chair across from my desk. 'Are you sure you're ready to be here? You experienced a very traumatic event and if you're not ready, you can take more time off.'

Touched by his concern, I smiled. 'Yes, sir. I'm sure. I need to be here, doing something. If I spent much more time at home, I might have lost my mind.'

'Good, good. Well, if you need anything, please ask.' He stood, holding out his hand for me to shake.

'Thank you; I will.' I shook his hand and returned to my work, not bothering to watch him leave.

The day crawled, and every time I looked at the clock, if felt like only a few minutes had passed. I managed to write out a draft of my new article, adding in a quick remembrance for Sirius' friend. All I needed from him was her name.

Finally, the clock read two fifty-five and I jumped up, tossing a few things into my briefcase. I clicked off the desk lamp and practically sprinted to the door and down the stairs. When I hit the bottom, I quickly scanned the parking lot. My car wasn't there. Where was Sirius? Why wasn't he here yet?

My heart began pounding in my chest and I looked down at my watch. It was two minutes to three. Just then, with a sigh of relief, I watched him pull into the parking lot. 'I'm not late am I? Your dash clock says I still have five minutes.' Biting my lip, I shook my head. 'Hey, are you okay?'

'I just want to go home,' I whispered, reaching across the centre console and taking his hand tightly in mine.

'Home I can do.'

* * *

**AN: Yikes! Don't flame me! I'm sorry it took 2 months to get this posted!**

**New chapter for you and I hope you enjoy! I'm not sure when the next one will be up, but it won't take 2 months, i promise!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

I had been back to work for a week and a half, and it hadn't gotten any easier. My cubicle was against a wall, and I had no view of the hallway, save the small space in front of my doorway. Every crack, every movement made me jump in my seat.

No one came to talk to me, but thankfully, I wasn't lonely. If I ran into someone in the break room or the hallway, we smiled and said our pleasantries, but never conversed more than that. It seemed like they were scared to talk to me, which suited me just fine. I didn't want any more friends here, not after I lost my last two.

Liz's desk was still empty and now Michael's was too. I avoided them, taking the long way to the door at the end of the day. It was strange being in the office and not having them there.

I changed my routine, both in the morning and afternoon. Where I used to take my lunch in the break room, I now ate at my desk. I used to wander the office, chatting with co-workers and catching up on the newest gossip. Now, I stayed at my desk until it was time to go. I made sure someone walked out with me, even if it was just in front of me. I didn't want to be in the parking lot alone.

Sirius had been picking me up after work for a few days and it was nice not having to worry about being alone. I felt bad though, keeping him from whatever he needed to do. He always said he didn't mind, but I couldn't depend on him forever. Someday I would have to be brave. Today would be one of those days. I had to go home by myself today, to an empty house on top of it. Sirius had a meeting in Canterbury and I wasn't sure what time he would be home.

I felt like such a child, unable to stay by myself for long periods of time. What happened to being brave? I used to live by myself. I hate these feelings, but how could I get rid of them?

One idea was quitting my job. I was still terrified of every creak or snap in the building and wound up jumping in my seat several times a day. It was terrified to think that there might be more Death Eaters in the building with me. It wasn't a large newspaper, but big enough that I didn't know everyone. Sirius, James and Remus had checked out all my co-workers while I was missing, but I was still nervous. What if they were hiding?

I found myself longing for the days before I met Sirius, if only for the naivety I felt. I hadn't known anything about the magical world and was able to write the story without bias. Now, I knew more than I should and it was hard to keep things straight. The Death Eaters were behind the mysterious deaths, but I couldn't write that. If I did, the office would laugh me out of the building and the Death Eaters were sure to have me killed.

When the time read three o'clock, I pack up my briefcase and clicked off my desk lamp. After catching sight of Sophia walking out, I followed closely behind, down the stairs and out to the parking lot. It was deserted and I power walked to the car, pulling out my keys as I walked. I waved to her before climbing in and tossing my purse onto the passenger seat.

The drive home was boring and quiet, just like I wanted it. When I pulled into our driveway, Sirius' motorbike was park in its usual spot. 'Maybe he's home?' I asked the silent air, opening my door and stepping out.

I made my way up the sidewalk and tried the front door, locked. After sticking my key in the lock, I pushed the front door open and stepped inside. The house was empty, silent and dim. The sky had grown overcast in the short drive home and a few drops of rain had already started to fall on my car.

Dropping my briefcase on the counter, I caught sight of a small note by the stove. _K. I'll be home soon. Love you. S. _I smiled down, rereading the note in his scrawling handwriting. 'He's lucky I can read his handwriting,' I said, laughing.

Rather than wait around the house for him to come home, I spent the late afternoon cleaning. After changing out of my work clothes, I dusted the flat surfaces and swept the kitchen, wiped down the kitchen counter and cleaned out the fridge. By the time the door opened at six, I had collapsed onto the couch from exhaustion. 'Krista?' He called and I summoned the energy to sit up.

'Hi. How was your meeting?' I pushed off the couch and stood up, making my way around until I was standing in front of him. My arms came up and wrapped around his neck, hugging him tightly.

'It was… boring, to say the least. How was your day?'

I shrugged, burying my face in his chest. He smelled nice, a combination of his deodorant and shampoo. I breathed in deep, closing my eyes and memorising the scent. 'I'm glad to be home for the weekend.'

'Me too,' he agreed, kissing the top of my head. 'Where did you want to go for dinner?'

'No where. I just want to stay in tonight. I'm not even that hungry, a sandwich will be fine.' I pulled back, looking up at him and smiling.

'A sandwich I can do.' He squeezed my shoulder before heading into the kitchen.

Following behind, I shook my head. 'I do know how to make a sandwich. How about I make you dinner for a change?'

'Sounds like a good idea.' He stepped away from the counter and gestured for me to take his place.

I busied myself pulling out the necessary items for sandwiches and scattered them across the counter. I needed to talk about my new idea with him, but I wasn't sure how to bring it up. He would either be upset or support me, and I wasn't sure which. 'I have something I need to talk to you about.' I impatiently chewed my lip as I waited for his response.

'Oh? What is that?'

He was sitting on one of the bar stools near the counter, scanning the _Daily Prophet_, the magic newspaper. As I glanced at him, I couldn't help but wonder why he was with me. He was so handsome and could have any woman he wanted, why me? 'I think I might want to quit my job and find a new one.' There, I said it.

'Oh? Why?' I heard him fold the paper and when I glanced over at him, he was watching me intently.

'Well, for starters I can't stand it. Sure, I loved it in the beginning, when I didn't know anything about magic. But now that I do, I can't stand to write the story and lie. I know more than I can write on paper and it's hard. Second,' I paused, putting down the knife and turning to him. 'I'm terrified there are more bad guys in the office? I know Michael is gone, but what about the others? What if they're still out there, waiting for me to relax before they attack again?'

Leaning against the countertop, I waited in the deafening silence for his answer. He didn't speak for a minute, taking the time to run his hand through his hair. 'Kris,' he started, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. 'If that's what you want to do, then that's what you should do. You don't need to be in an environment that's not healthy for you. If you want to quit, I'm behind you 100%.'

Closing my eyes, I breathed a quick sigh of relief. 'You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I thought you were going to get upset with me.'

'And why would I do that? It's your life, if you want to quit your job; there isn't anything I can do to stop you. I just want you to be happy.' He rose from the stool and crossed the room in a few steps, pulling me to him. 'You do what you want and I'm behind you.'

'Thank you,' I said softly, looking up into his sparkling grey eyes. 'Now I just need to find a new job.'

'I'm sure you'll find something. You could always work on your novel.'

Rolling my eyes, I returned to the sandwich making. My novel was a joke. It seemed as if everyone worked on a novel some time in their life, and not many made it past the rough draft. 'I could,' I agreed, rather than argue. 'Hey, could you click on the telly and turn it to BBC? I want to catch the weather report.'

Sirius rose and went into the living room, and a few seconds later I heard the newswoman start talking. I could always go into television news. Shaking my head, I chuckled to myself. I hated public speaking, there was no way I could be on the telly and deliver the news. 'What's so funny?' He asked when he returned to the kitchen.

'Nothing, just thinking of something funny.' I plated the sandwich, added crisps and a few pickle slices before handing it to him. 'Aside from your boring meeting, how was your day?' Returning to the counter, I began fixing my own sandwich.

'It was all right, James and Lily say hi.'

Smiling, I sat next to him at the table. 'Were they at your meeting?'

'Yeah,' he said, sounding distracted. His eyes looked passed me and I turned, following his eyes to the telly as the newswoman gave the evening news.

'_This just in to the BBC newsroom. __A local man has been reported missing. Caradoc Dearborn was reported missing this morning by his wife. Dearborn, 42, a local machinist, resides in Southwark with his wife and two children. If you have any information on his disappearance, please contact authorities at the number at the bottom of your screen.'_

I turned back to Sirius, whose face had now paled. 'Sirius?' I asked, my voice as quiet as I could make it. 'Do you know him?'

'I need to go.' He stood up quickly, knocking over his chair. 'Stay inside and keep the doors locked. I'll be back soon.'

'What? Where are you going?' I pushed back my chair and followed him to the front door. 'Sirius?'

He stopped walking and turned back to me. 'I need to go see some people. I'll be home soon.'

'Okay,' I said softly, stepping back from him.

'Love you,' he said softly, leaning in to kiss me lightly.

'Love you too.' He disappeared with a loud crack and I cringed, closing my eyes quickly. When would I get used to that sound?

Rather than hang around and wait for him, I returned to the table and finished my sandwich. My mind wandered as I sat in the near silence, all that sounded through the house was the telly. They had moved on to the weather, but my interested was lost.

What about that news story caught his attention? Does he know him? Maybe he's a member of their group, fighting the Death Eaters. Could his name be added to my list of unexplained deaths? They hadn't found his body yet, but that didn't mean anything. The majority of Benjy Fenwick had been bits and pieces, not a whole body part anywhere.

I wanted to go to the store, but Sirius told me to stay inside with the doors locked. What could I do? I rolled my eyes at my next thought, call my mother.

I crossed the room and picked up the phone, quickly dialling the number before I could change my mind. _'Hello?'_ My mother's cheery voice sounded on the other end of the phone.

'Hi, Mum.'

'_Krista! How are you? How's Sirius? How's your job? Is everything going great?'_

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head, wondering why I ever decided to call her. 'I'm doing well, Mum. Sirius is good, he's at a work meeting right now. My job is good and everything else is fine. How are you and Dad? Is anything new and exciting happening?'

I tuned my mother's voice out as she talked. I loved her, I did, but she exhausted me, more so now than before. _'Krista, are you listening to me?' _

'Yes, Mum, I'm listening. I just thought I saw someone at the door. I actually need to run, Mum. Sirius should be back any minute now.'

'_Okay, dear. I'll talk to you later. Give Sirius a kiss for me.'_

'I will. Love you, Mum.'

'_Love you. Bye!'_

I heard the phone click and I sighed in relief. Resting the receiver back in the cradle, I sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. The near silence echoed through the downstairs. I heard the clock ticking on the wall, counting the seconds I was alone.

Shaking my head, I stood up and gathered Sirius' plate. I doubted he would be back in time to finish, or if he would even want to finish. I cleaned off the food and dropped the plate into the sink before running hot water for tea. It was Friday night, I needed to relax.

When the teapot whistled, I poured the scalding hot water into the cup and let the tea bag steep. The smell of raspberries filled the surrounding air and I smiled as I breathed in. A nice, relaxing and peaceful smell.

I settled down on the couch to drink my tea and scan the telly. There wasn't much on, the movie of the week on one of the local channels occupied my attention for a few minutes at least. It was some sappy romance, and I rolled my eyes at the predictability of it. Stereotypical.

When the front door opened at quarter after nine, I jumped and turned towards the door quickly. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for a figure to appear. 'Oh, it's you,' I said softly, relaxing slightly when I recognized Sirius' face. 'I was worried about you.'

'How many times have I told you not to worry about me? I can take care of myself,' he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

'I know, but I still worry.' I wanted to go to him and hug him, but I couldn't move.

He walked into the house and sat next to me on the couch, just far enough away that I couldn't touch him without stretching. 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah, I'm fine,' he said, his voice sounding mechanical. 'I'm sorry. I want to tell you, but…'

'You can't,' I finished for him. It was the same old story. Every time something happened, he wanted to tell me but couldn't. I understand why he can't tell me some things, but this was ridiculous. 'I'm going to go to bed.'

I stood up and carried my teacup to the sink, rinsing it out before setting it down. Without waiting for his response, I climbed the stairs to our room. Even though it was April, the house was still chilly and rather than wear my spring pyjamas, I pulled on my flannel ones.

Crawling into bed, I pulled the blankets up to my chin and shut my eyes. One day, he would be able to tell me everything, even if I didn't understand any of it. One day… just not any time soon.

Twenty minutes later I heard the bedroom door open and Sirius slide into bed. He lay there for a moment, before rolling onto his side and rubbing my back. 'I love you, Krista, even if I don't show it as much. I just want you safe.'

His lips brushed against my cheek and it took all I had to remain motionless. I wanted to hold him and tell him I loved him, but I couldn't. I was too angry, too upset over being brushed aside and left out of the loop.

* * *

**AN: First off, thank you to: the_werewolf_gal, HPC0ldplay, Saffygirl, ShiroTears-and-KuroiRoses, LadyStrider17, and BellaCullen2312 for reviewing the previous chapter. **

**I have no excuses for why this is so late, other than far too much RL stress and drama. In case you haven't noticed, I posted a Oneshot from Sirius' POV of Krista's kidnapping. It's entitled _Tears in the Darkness. _The next few months will be spanning large gaps of time as we slowly wind down to October of 1981.**

**Thanks so much for reading and please leave a review on your way out. Even if it's just to fuss at me for taking so long! :D**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

I was home, sitting on the couch with my feet curled underneath me, watching the television. I had been done with my story for nearly two months now and it was wonderful. While I did miss that branch newspaper, I had much less stress than I did before. There were no worries that I might be attacked by someone from the Wizard community. No worries about not making it home because of something I wrote.

Rather than quit the job completely, I requested a transfer to the entertainment section. It was a part-time position and I wrote weekly articles about the fine art performances in the area. So far, I had attended two ballets, two London Symphony Orchestra concerts, three plays and one musical. I enjoyed the musical the most, as they performed _Cats_ at the West End Theatre. Newly released, it had already received rave reviews, including one of my own.

I still worried about Sirius though. He had been gone more often than usual and I wasn't sure what that meant. He wouldn't tell me, of course, leaving me to use my imagination to think of what might be going on. And, as usual, my imagination thought up more wild and crazy ideas than probably was happening.

Since I now had so much free time, Sirius convinced me to seriously work on my novel. I had put it off, making excuses that it wasn't good and would never be published. Now, with nothing else to do, I had no other choice. I was currently editing the middle few chapters and had scouted out a few editors. Maybe someone would want to publish it.

At the moment though, I was relaxing. It was a warm Saturday and I had no work related events to attend that evening. We were supposed to have lunch with one of his cousins though, which made me exceptionally nervous. I knew that this cousin, Andromeda, was one of the only ones that would actually talk to him. According to Sirius, she had been disowned from the family because she married a muggleborn.

Sirius was out, visiting Remus or James I assumed, and I had the day to myself. Reruns of _Doctor Who_ were being shown on BBC for most of the day, so I settled in to watch. I wasn't overly fond of the series, but with nothing else on, it would suffice.

I had just rested my head on the armrest when a news bulletin flashed across the screen. _'Please excuse this interruption. BBC news has just received word that shots have been fired at Queen Elizabeth during the Trooping the Colour ceremony. The alleged shooter, Marcus Sarjeant, is currently in custody. Queen Elizabeth is doing fine and continued the ceremony according to plan. We will give you more information as it becomes available. For the time being we go live to…'_ The reporter continued talking but I zoned out.

The Queen was shot! 'Krista, are you home?' Sirius' voice echoed through the downstairs.

'Yes, in here,' I called back, my eyes still glued to the telly.

'What's going on?' He asked, walking into the living room. Collapsing onto the couch next to me, he reached his hand over, taking mine in his, his thumb rubbing circles along the back.

'Queen Elizabeth was shot at,' I said, barely glancing his way. This was the kind of thing I became engrossed in watching.

'Who?'

That got my attention. I turned toward him, my jaw falling open as I moved. 'Did you just ask who Queen Elizabeth was?'

'Yeah, why? Who is she?'

'Please tell me you're joking. She's the Queen of England. You know, the country we live in? She's the reining monarch. I mean, she has no _real_ power, but still.'

Sirius merely shrugged. 'I never followed Muggle politics. All I'm concerned about is the Ministry of Magic.'

I shook my head and turned back to the telly. 'I can't believe you don't know who the Queen is,' I said, still shaking my head.

'Sorry.'

Rolling my eyes, I handed him the remote. 'I'll watch the news again later, here.'

He flipped through channels for a few minutes before settling on the movie of the week. 'Are you almost ready for lunch? I told Andromeda we'd meet her around one.'

I glanced at my watch and nodded, stretching my arms over my head. 'Sure. Let me just go change. I'll be right back down.'

Changing into my favourite pair of jeans and my purple blouse, I had quickly brushed my hair and reapplied my lipstick. After another glance in the mirror, I headed back down the stairs. 'All right, I'm ready.'

'My lady,' he said, holding out his hand.

Smiling, I picked up my purse and took his hand, letting him lead me out of the house and to the car. Sirius drove while I sat in the passenger seat, determined not to be as nervous as I was.

I was meeting his family, at least, the only family that would talk to him. What if she didn't like me? He promised me she would, but what if? I didn't do well with rejection and it would really hurt if his only family disliked me.

We pulled up to the restaurant and I took a deep breath before sliding out of the car. 'So, are you nervous?' Sirius asked, his hand wrapped around mine.

I nodded, my hands shaking. 'What do you think? My hands are shaking.'

'She'll like you, I promise. Andromeda's really great. And her daughter is supposed to be coming, Nymphadora.' I raised an eyebrow, looking up at him. 'I know, but if you knew my family…' he trailed off.

'Your family likes strange names?' I asked, smiling up at him.

'Think about it. My name is Sirius Orion; my brother's name was Regulus Arcturus. We have a thing for stars and constellations. I refuse to name any of my children after stars. We can pick normal names like Grace or Joey.'

I smiled, trying to ignore the fact that he used the word "we." Was he really planning on marrying me? Did he want to have children together? Sure, I had thought about it, but I wasn't sure if he had. Lily mentioned it before but… 'Are you all right?'

'Yeah, I'm fine. So,' I took a deep breath, 'are we doing this?' I nodded towards the restaurant and waited.

Leaning forward, Sirius kissed me lightly before walking to the door. 'Let's go.'

We walked to the door and Sirius held it open, letting me walk through first. He really could be a gentleman when he wanted to go be. I let him lead me forward towards a small table near the back. 'Andromeda,' Sirius said brightly. He dropped my hand and hugged the woman tightly.

'Sirius! It's so good to see you! You must be Krista.'

Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, Sirius grinned. 'This is my girlfriend Krista. Krista, this is my cousin Andromeda.'

'It's so nice to meet you! Ted couldn't come, but this is our daughter Nymphadora.' She gestured to the little girl sitting at the table. 'Please, sit down.'

'I don't like my name,' the little girl mumbled and I couldn't hold back my smile.

Sirius pulled out my chair and I sat down, my hands clasped together in my lap. It appeared that being around magical folk had boosted my self confidence. Either that or they no longer made me nervous. I found myself thoroughly relaxed talking with Andromeda and Nymphadora.

We ordered and sat idly chatting about Sirius' work, Andromeda's husband and what everyone had been up to. It was pleasant and I was certainly happy to find someone in Sirius' family that I could meet. Knowing that your boyfriend's family would like to rule over you was a bit disheartening, but it was good to find at least one person who seemed to like me.

I really liked her, and I understood why Sirius thought so highly of her. And it was also nice to meet someone from his family that didn't automatically dislike me because I had no magical powers.

'If you'll excuse me,' Sirius said about halfway through our lunch. 'I need to use the little boy's room.'

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to spread across my lips. 'Oh grow up,' Andromeda said with a smile.

He stood and bent down, kissing the top of my head. 'I'll be right back.'

'He's a good boy,' Andromeda said when he had walked away from the table. 'I'm really quite glad he found someone to be with.'

I smiled, unsure of how to respond. 'He really is,' I replied after a moment's hesitation. 'I'm very lucky to have him in my life.'

'I am sorry that you have to get involved with our family. We're related to some of the most _opinionated_ wizards of the time,' she said with a quick glance down at her daughter.

'So Sirius has mentioned.'

She smiled, 'I'm sure he has.' Taking another bite of her lunch, she fell silent. I glanced around, trying to figure out why it was taking Sirius so long to use the restroom. 'I really am glad he's found you. He needs someone to take care of him.'

I chuckled softly, 'I think he's been taking care of me more than I've been taking care of him.'

'I've heard. It's really not always like this. Our world used to be quite peaceful. Just recently…' she trailed off with another glance at Nymphadora.

I smiled and nodded, not believing her for a moment. Even though I had only been exposed for just over eight months, all I had experienced was evil in the magical world. Why was had I gotten involved with him now? Why couldn't it have been when everything was peaceful?

'So, did you miss me?' Sirius asked as he pulled out his chair.

I rolled my eyes and Nymphadora yelled out, 'I missed you,' speaking for the first time since we had sat down.

Sirius grinned as he reached over, taking my hand in his. 'Good, 'cause I missed you too, Munchkin.' The little girl grinned and tucked back in, finishing her lunch. 'So what did you three ladies talk about? Me, right?'

'I thought your ego had diminished after school? Why must everything be about you?' Andromeda asked, sending little Nymphadora into giggles.

'Because I'm just that marvellous,' he replied, grinning his trademark grin.

'I'm surprised with can fit in the room with your head as big as it is,' I added.

Placing his hand on his throat in mock horror, he gasped. 'I'm appalled that you think of me as such. Dora, do you think I have that bad an ego?'

Still giggling, she nodded vigorously. 'Yes,' she said between giggles.

'Oh, well,' he said, a grin spreading across his face. 'If you all think that, it must be true.'

'Hush,' I said with a small laugh. I picked up my fork and speared a small piece of broccoli. 'Finish your lunch.'

Slowly, our meals were finished, tea drunk and we were headed out to our respective vehicles. 'It was very nice to meet you, Krista,' Andromeda said, pulling me tightly into a hug. 'Please try to keep him in line, as much as you can.'

'I'll try,' I said with a smile, 'but that's easier said than done.'

'Don't I know it?'

I moved off to the side, letting the family members make their goodbyes. 'Take care, won't you? I feel things are going to get worse before they can get better and I want you coming out on the other side, understand?'

'Yes, ma'am,' Sirius said, hugging his cousin. 'And you be good for your mother.' He waved a finger at Nymphadora before kneeling down in front of her. 'When you get to Hogwarts, I'll make sure to show you all the secret passages.'

'Sirius! You will not get my daughter in trouble,' Andromeda scolded, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Rising, he wrapped an arm around my waist, an innocent smile on his lips. 'I wouldn't dream of it. Tell Ted I said hi.'

And with that, we were off. I closed my eyes as Sirius drove, a small headache forming behind my eyes. 'That was fun,' I said softly, glancing over at him. 'I'm really glad I got to meet at least one person in your family.'

'Andromeda's great,' he replied, ignoring the rest of my comment. 'Her daughter's a trip though. She's a Metamorphamagus. It means she can change her appearance at will,' he explained, catching the confused look on my face.

'Oh,' I replied, unsure of what else to say.

'It's overwhelming, isn't it?' He asked, pulling up to a traffic light.

'What?' I opened my eyes and looked over at him confused.

He paused for a moment, as if regretting asking the question at all. 'Finding all this out, magic I mean. It seems every other day there's something new to tell you and I actually forget at times that you don't know any of this.'

'I suppose, though I've never thought about it like that. It is a bit overwhelming, but you seem to be doing an okay job explaining things.'

'Are you not angry anymore about me keeping things from you?'

'No, I still am,' I replied honestly. 'But I think I'm not _as_ angry. I do understand why you can't tell me some things.'

'Good,' he said, smiling over at me. 'Someday, I'll be able to tell you everything, I promise.'

I couldn't help but wonder what he was talking about. Was that going to be in the near future? Was he planning on proposing, like Lily said? When was he going to tell me everything?

* * *

**AN: I know, I'm a failure. Please hold all flaming arrows and tomatoes, even though I know I deserve them. I have serious writers block on this story and I'm trying to force my way through it. Please forgive me?**

**There are about 9 chapters left, including an epilogue and I'm trying to have this story done by September. That works out to about a chapter every other week. Again, I'm sorry! Thanks to everyone who is still keeping up with this and for everyone who reviewed, alerted or favourited this story. I heart you all **


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

I was glancing over the newspaper, scanning my most recent entertainment review. Sirius and I had gone to the London Symphony Orchestra last Saturday to see their performance of Beethoven's _Eroica_. Even though it was just over an hour long, they still did a wonderful job. Of course, Sirius wasn't amused and wound up falling asleep halfway through.

'What are you doing?' Sirius voice pulled me from my thoughts and I looked up with a smile.

'Just looking over the paper for the day. My article made it in.' I folded the paper in half and handed it to him, watching as he skimmed it.

'Nice job,' he said with a smile, handing the paper back to me. 'So, what would you like for breakfast?'

Folding the paper, I tossed it back onto the pile. 'At the moment, I'm really not hungry. I will take a cup of tea though, and maybe one of those muffins we baked yesterday.'

'You mean, one of the muffins I baked yesterday. As I recall, you wore more of the batter than actually got in the muffin pans,' Sirius called from the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes and stood up, walking towards the kitchen. 'Fine. One of the muffins _you_ baked yesterday.'

Sitting at the table, I watched as he roamed about the small kitchen. He was so sure of himself in everything he did, even something simple as fixing tea. 'What are you looking at, love?'

'Nothing,' I said, feeling my cheeks glow brilliant pink.

'Mmmhhhmmm,' he hummed, placing a steaming cup of hot tea in front of me. 'I know you were checking me out.'

'I was doing nothing of the sort! I was simply observing you making tea.'

Without even bothering to dignify my statement with a response other than his sly smile, he sat down across from me with two muffins. 'So, what would you like to do today?'

Pursing my lips, I broke off a small piece of the muffin and popped it in my mouth. Delicious. What ever would I have done without him to cook? 'Oh, I don't know. I do know we need to start thinking about a gift for Harry's birthday. Yes, I know we still have about a month, but we don't want to wait until the last minute, do we?'

'Yes, I suppose your right. Though, I do already have an idea for him. Lily'll kill us though, if we get it for…' he stopped midsentence as a knock sounded on our front door. 'Who the bloody hell could that be this morning?'

'I don't know,' I said softly, glancing over at the door.

Sirius stood and walked quickly to the door, pulling his wand as he went. I couldn't help but wonder, when had he started pulling out his wand simply to answer the door? Was it really that bad out in the wizarding world that he needed to worry about being attacked in his own house? Yes, of course; I had been attacked in my house simply for being involved with Sirius. Well, that and my article.

'Hey, mate…James, what's wrong?' Hearing the tone of Sirius' voice, I quickly walked to the door and stood behind him. James' eyes were red and he looked sad, more so than I had ever seen him. My first reaction was _who died this time._ 'Come in,' Sirius said, stepping aside so James could enter.

James walked in and headed toward the living room. 'What happened?' I asked Sirius, wondering if James had said something before I had reached the door.

'I don't know. But he better tell us quick. I'm getting worried.' He followed James to the living room, his wand still out.

Worried myself, I shut the door and joined them in the other room. James had sat on the sofa and Sirius was on the armrest. 'What happened?' Sirius asked, his voice betraying how worried he actually was.

'Lily's parents were killed in an auto wreck last night. We just found out this morning. They were hit head on by a drunk driver.'

My hands flew to my mouth as I gasped in horror. 'Oh no,' I whispered. Poor Lily! She must be so upset.

'James, mate, I'm sorry. Is there anything we can do?' Sirius asked as he patted James' shoulder awkwardly.

'I don't know. I just…I can't believe it. All the death we've seen, all our friends who have died… I guess I didn't expect her parents to go for a while, since they're muggles. It's got her so upset…' he trailed off and shook his head. 'If you want to stop by later, that'd be great. She needs to see some friends.'

'Sure,' I replied, looking up at Sirius. 'We'd be glad to stop by, right?'

'Of course.'

Our trio sat in silence for a few minutes until James stood abruptly, shoving his hands in his pockets. 'I should probably get home. Lily's bound to be wondering where I am. I just wanted to tell you what happened.'

Sirius and I followed him to the door and once we reached it, I hugged him tightly. 'If you need anything, please let me know. After everything you both have done for me… it's the least I can do.'

'Thanks, Krista,' James said, hugging me back. 'Just stop by and see her later.'

'Take care, Padfoot,' James said, holding out his hand.

'Yeah, you do.' They embraced like brothers before James opened the door and walked out.

I heard a faint crack, cringing only slightly as he disapparated from our front step. Looking up at Sirius, I smiled sadly and took a step forward, wrapping my arms around his waist. 'That's so awful,' I whispered, burying my face in Sirius' shoulder. 'I can't even imagine how I'd feel if that were my parents.'

'I can,' he said, squeezing me tightly. 'But I'm not overly fond of my Mum to begin with. Dad died two years ago.'

'I didn't know that.' Pulling away, I looked up into his face, trying to read some sort of emotion. When I couldn't find any, I shrugged and rested my head on his shoulder again.

'I don't see the point in talking about it. He didn't stand up for me when Mum threw me out.' His lips brushed the top of my head before he let go and stepped back. 'How about we bake some more muffins and head over there?'

Nodding, I stepped back and walked to the kitchen. We'd been dating for nearly seven months now, and I hadn't known about his father. Shouldn't I have been told that months ago? Wasn't that an important piece of information about his life?

Sirius pulled out the ingredients for the muffins as I leaned against the counter, watching him. I figured it'd be best if I stayed back and didn't help, especially seeing as how the last time we made muffins, I made more of a mess than anything else. 'Are you okay?' Sirius asked, turning away from the pile of ingredients to face me. 'You don't look right.'

'Yeah, I'm fine.'

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. 'You're such a bad liar,' he said with a small smile, turning back to the counter.

Sirius spent the remainder of the morning baking the muffins while I puttered around, cleaning the house. It was amazing how, even though I was home almost every day, the flat still managed to get as messy as it did.

'Hey, are you ready to head to Lily's?'

'Sure, let me just grab my purse.' Leaving the dust rag on Sirius' end table, I headed down the stairs and collected my purse from the kitchen table. 'Now I'm ready.'

Sirius held out his hand and I took it, making sure to lock the door behind us. 'Your car or my bike?'

'Bike,' I said without hesitation, knowing I would probably regret it later.

Raising an eyebrow, Sirius just smiled and led the way to his motorbike. He stowed the muffins and my purse in the saddlebag and climbed on. I sat behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist as he turned the key and started the engine. 'Hold on tight,' he said over the sound of the engine as he shifted into gear.

We were off, speeding down the road. No matter how many times I had ridden on his bike, I still couldn't hold back the giggle of excitement. I hated the thing, I really did, but at the same time, I loved the feeling of the wind blowing my hair and the roar of the engine.

Twenty minutes later, we slowed down as we entered Godric's Hollow. It was a quaint little village, mostly filled with both wizarding folk and muggles, or so Sirius told me.

The Potter's house was a small cottage, exactly like I would like to have when Sirius and I finally bought a house. Or, when I bought a house with whomever I was marrying… it didn't necessarily have to be Sirius.

Sirius pulled up to the curb and cut the engine. I climbed off first and struggled to untangle the knots in my long hair. Why hadn't I tied it back in a ponytail before we left the house?

'Your hair is fine,' Sirius said as he pulled the muffins and my purse from the bag. 'Just tie it back and all will be fine.'

I maturely stuck my tongue out at him and followed him up the sidewalk. For the first time since I had known him, Sirius knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. Every other time we had been here to visit, he simply walked right in. 'Oh, it's you,' James said as he opened the door. 'We thought it might be Lily's sister. Don't know why though, it's not like that hag would ever come out here.'

'James!' Lily's voice called through the house.

He shrugged, a sly smile on his face. 'Come on in. Lily's in the living room.' He stepped aside and we walked in.

'Here mate, we made muffins,' Sirius said, handing James the platter.

I couldn't stop a small giggle from leaving my lips. 'I'm sorry, that was just… It just sounded really funny.'

James cracked a smile and for a moment, he looked like he normally did. He wasn't sad or worried, he was his normal self. 'She's right, mate. Aren't you just the little homemaker?'

Sirius frowned and I wrapped my arm around his waist.

Taking the muffins, James led us into the house. When we entered the living room, the very first thing I noticed was Lily sitting on the couch.

'Oh, Lily,' I said, walking forward quickly. 'I'm so sorry!' Sitting next to her on the sofa, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly.

'Thank you,' she said, sniffling. Her eyes were bloodshot and her pretty red hair, tangled. 'It's just come as such a shock. I…I was just talking to her yesterday morning. They were supposed to come see Harry next week…' she trailed off, burying her head in her hands.

Biting my lip, I looked up at Sirius, my own eyes filling with tears. She was my first friend since Rebecca and that whole fiasco. I wanted to help her, but I didn't know how.

'Lil, any help you need, you let us know,' Sirius said, kneeling down in front of her. 'Whatever it is…'

'Thanks, Padfoot,' she said, looking up. She wiped the stray tears from her cheeks and forced a smile. 'The only thing I wish you could help me with was dealing with Petunia. We have to plan the funeral and…' she trailed off again.

I looked up as James entered the room carrying Harry. 'Here Harry,' he said softly as he placed Harry on the floor near his toys. 'Play with your toys.'

It was silent in the room, though thankfully not awkward. I wasn't sure what to say, or if there was anything I could say to make them feel better. Both of my parents were still alive, and I really couldn't relate to the situation.

Three days later, we were sitting in a small church in Manchester for Lily's parent's funeral. James, Lily and Harry were in one of the front pews, and another couple sat in the other front pew. I could only assume the woman was Lily's sister, though I certainly didn't expect to be introduced. From what I had heard from James and Lily, her sister wasn't fond of the magical world. Her husband was, for lack of a better word, obese. What she saw in him, I couldn't even imagine. They were holding a baby, though I couldn't see well enough to tell if it was a boy or girl. Ugh, they reproduced.

I sat between Sirius and Remus, with Peter on the end. I was holding both their hands as the tears slid down my cheeks. I had never met her parents, but I felt so sorry for Lily. How awful she must feel!

What would I do in this situation? Thankfully, I had Alan and Kate to help with everything if something like that happened to my parents. Poor Lily had her sister, whom, from what I understood, barely helped with any of the arrangements. What a useless…

'Come on, Krista,' Sirius said, squeezing my hand and pulling me from my thoughts. 'The service is over.'

I looked around to find everyone filing out of the church. They were having a private burial at the cemetery, so we were not attending. 'Did you want to come to our place? We can sit for a while before we need to go to Prong's house later.' Sirius asked Remus and Peter, though neither responded right away.

'No, thanks,' Peter said after a minute of silence. 'I need to get to…' he trailed off, his cheeks glowing pink. Without another word, he scurried from the pew and out the door, leaving the three of us to stare after in confusion.

'What was that about?' I asked, turning away from the door and up to Sirius.

He was still watching the door, a strange look on his face. 'No idea. I thought he had a girlfriend, but I haven't seen her yet. How 'bout you, Moony?'

'No, I haven't seen anyone.' He shrugged, 'I wouldn't mind coming back with you, if you don't mind.'

'No, not at all!' I smiled and took his hand again, leading the two men from the pew.

We walked out to my car, much nicer to drive to a church for a funeral, and drove back to our flat. Remus rode with us, having apparated to the church from his own flat earlier that morning.

'Did you boys want some tea?' I asked after unlocking the door and dropping my purse onto the kitchen table. 'I can actually make tea.'

'That she can. It's probably the only think she can make with out having the house burn down.'

I stuck my tongue out at him and headed for the kitchen. After kicking off my heels, I filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove. While I waited for it to boil, I pulled out mugs, sugar and cream, and set them on a tray.

'Hey, are you okay?' Sirius asked softly from behind me. He started me and I nearly dropped the mug I was holding.

'Sure, why wouldn't I be?'

'I don't know. I just wanted to make sure.' He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. With my shoes off, I was a full shorter than him and I stared directly into his chest.

'I'm fine,' I said with a quick smile. 'I just wish there was something I could do for Lily and James.'

Sirius lightly kissed my forehead, 'me too. But it's okay. They'll be okay.'

I rested my head against his shoulder and took a deep breath. I would remember his smell for the rest of my life. 'I love you,' I whispered.

He didn't respond right away, just kissed the top of my head again. 'I love you, too. Now come on, we have Moony in the living room waiting for tea.'

* * *

**AN: What is this? An update? Do you even remember this story? I certainly hope so! Thank you to: NocturnalRose, Foofoogurly2000, grumpypirate, ktmt1120, HpC0ldplay, katevs, LadyStrider17, AllenPitt, the_werewolf_gal and Saffygirl for reviewing the previous chapter... months ago.**

**Hope you enjoyed this one!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

'What do you mean; you're going to be gone for three weeks? You're going to miss Harry's party,' I pouted. I was more comfortable with Lily and James now than even a few months ago, but that didn't mean I wanted to go to the birthday party alone. 'Why do you have to go?'

Sirius sighed softly and took my hand in his. 'Kris, you know I wouldn't leave unless I had to. They can't send Prongs and Wormtail's gone missing. The three weeks will go by fast.'

'You said that the last time you were gone for an extended period, and then you came back in the hospital,' I said with a smile. I couldn't complain too much. He hadn't been gone much lately, not like when we started dating. Like he said, three weeks wasn't that long. He'd be back before I knew it. But, that thought did nothing to squelch my worries. What if he came back and ended up in the hospital again?

'I know, love. After this, I won't go anywhere for a while, I promise.' Sirius brought my hand to his lips and lightly kissed the back.

'Don't promise. You know you'll have to go somewhere and if you promise, you'll have to break it. It's fine. I'll stay busy. Maybe Lily needs help getting ready for the party. And I do have to go to a few events in the next couple weeks.' I wasn't okay with him leaving for this, but not just because he could get hurt, though that was the most important reason. He was leaving me alone, and I was still terrified to be alone in the flat. Even after all these months, every bump and noise scared me.

Shifting on the sofa, Sirius turned toward me, still holding my hand tightly in his. As I looked into his eyes, my heart skipped a beat. This was the man I wanted to spend my life with and at that moment, I knew I loved him more than anything else. 'Are you sure you're okay with this?'

'No,' I interrupted, 'I'm not okay with you going, but it's not like I can stop you. This is your job. You're doing this so we can be safe… so that I can be safe.'

Sirius opened his mouth then shut it again, obviously unsure of what to say. Thankfully, a knock sounded on the door, saving us from an awkward silence. He released my hand, stood, and walked quickly to the door, leaving me to lean against the sofa. I shut my eyes and listened to the murmuring of voices at the door. One day, we would be rid of this nightmare and live happily ever after. One day, hopefully soon, I wouldn't have to worry when he disappeared for three weeks. I wouldn't have to worry that he'd come back in a body bag or worse, not at all.

'Hey, Krista.' The sound of Remus' voice pulled me from my daydreams. Smiling, I sat up and turned on the sofa. 'Sorry I have to take him again.'

'Hey, Remus. I know; it's fine. Just… be careful, would you?' I forced a smile, knowing that if something happened, it wouldn't matter how careful they were.

As if knowing my thoughts, Remus smiled sadly. 'We will. I'll let you two say goodbye.' He patted my shoulder before heading to the kitchen.

'Okay, love, we're gonna head out.' Sirius leaned over the sofa, his eyes no longer sparkling like usual. Now they were serious, sorrowful.

'Okay,' I said softly, still looking up into his eyes. Now that he was leaving, I didn't want him to go. What if he didn't come back this time? What if _they_ got him?

Sirius reached out, took my hands and led me around the sofa. He pulled me toward him and hugged me tightly, his chin resting on the top of my head. 'I'll be back soon,' he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. 'I love you.'

'I love you, too,' I whispered back, tears filling my eyes. 'Come on; I'll walk you to the door.' Pulling back, I wiped my eyes and sniffled. I wanted to run up stairs and bury myself in the bed, but I couldn't. I needed to be strong.

Picking up his duffle, Sirius followed me to the kitchen and then the front door. Remus met us there, his own duffle tossed over his shoulder. 'Be careful,' I said softly, knowing for certain that they would be, or at least as careful as they could be.

I hugged them both tightly and kissed Sirius before they disappeared, vanishing with a loud crack from our front door. I winced and jumped nearly a foot in the air as I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. Would I always jump at that sound?

The days passed slowly and turned into weeks. I didn't do much, went to work and came home. I spent one afternoon with Mum and my sister, Kate. We did some shopping and chatted, catching up. I had to be careful about what I told them, but all in all, it was a great day. Kate had a new boyfriend, Anthony, and they were starting to get serious. Mum was happy for her and I was happy Mum had someone else to pester with questions.

The first day of August rolled around and I found myself driving to Godric's Hollow once again, this time for Harry's party. Lily had called a few days previous to tell me it would just be me and them. They had had a small birthday tea with one of their neighbours the day before and since they couldn't get hold of Peter, I was the only one left.

After a quick hug, Lily led me to the backyard where a small table was set up. 'We're so glad you could come. Sorry there isn't much of a party,' Lily said, handing me a glass of water.

'Quiet is good.' I sat in the chair and crossed my legs, watching Harry giggle on his blanket.

'We haven't been able to see many people. James is so tired of being shut up here all the time. He wants to go on more missions for the Order, but they won't let him.' Lily shrugged, offering a small smile. 'I'm not complaining though, I'd much rather have him here than off…' she trailed off.

Biting my lip, I took a small sip of water, trying not to dwell on the unsaid end of Lily's sentence. 'I understand completely. Sirius… he hasn't gone off much lately, but this one… three weeks is a long time. Especially seeing as how I can't contact him at all.'

'I'm sure he's fine,' she said softly, but her tone of voice betrayed her. She was worried too, but she was trying not to show it. 'There's James.'

I sighed, thankful for the distraction and end to the conversation. Smiling, I shook my head as he walked to the backyard with a few slices of cake. 'Hey muggle,' James said loudly, 'would you like chocolate or vanilla?'

'James Potter,' Lily warned, but she too was smiling.

James seemed to think it was hilarious to call me muggle. At first, I thought he was making fun of me, but now I realised he just liked to tease people. 'Chocolate, please.'

I held out my hand and took the plate and fork, resting it on my knees. 'Lil' do you want to give Harry some of the cake? I cut a small piece of vanilla for him.'

'Sure. He didn't get to have much when Bathilda was over the other day.' Leaving her plate on her chair, she picked Harry up from the blanket and brought him to the table. I ate my slice of cake and watched as she fed Harry.

'So, what have you been up to, Krista? It's been a while since we've seen you.' James took a bite, spilling chocolate crumbs onto his shirt.

'I'm okay, I suppose. I've been trying to keep busy, getting work done and whatnot. If I stay busy, I don't worry about him.'

'Understandable,' James agreed. 'I would much rather be out there than here just sitting on my hands. I don't wait well.'

'That's for sure,' Lily agreed, a small smile on her lips. 'Padfoot and Moony will be back before we know it.'

I nodded silently, not sure if I agreed or not. It had only been two weeks, and there was still one to go, perhaps more if they were detained. 'Oh,' I said, reaching down into my purse, desperate to change the subject. 'Here's Harry's birthday gift. Sirius bought it, so I'm not exactly sure what it is.' I handed her the badly wrapped package and leaned back in the chair, taking the last bite of cake.

Lily handed Harry the package and we all smiled as he happily ripped the paper. Shreds of blue fell into the grass as he held up the prized present. 'What in Merlin's name did he buy?' Lily asked, taking the present carefully from Harry. 'Oh, he didn't.'

'He did!' James exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and taking both the present and Harry. 'It's a toy broomstick! I knew there was a reason he was my best mate.'

James pulled out his wand and mumbled some words as the broomstick levitated off the ground. 'Come on, Harry! You're going to have a blast!' James lifted Harry up and placed him on the broom.

Harry looked around nervously but started squealing happily as the broom zoomed around. 'I could kill him,' Lily whispered, sliding to the edge of her seat.

'He bought a toy broomstick?' I asked, watching Harry zoom. 'That was his idea? He said you'd hate it, but I didn't even imagine…' I trailed off, shaking my head. 'Lily, I'm sorry. Had I known this is what he wanted, I wouldn't have let him buy it.'

'Girls, calm down,' James said, rolling his eyes. 'It's not that big of a deal. It doesn't go that fast.'

'I still don't like him on that thing.'

I glanced over at Lily, smiling at the look on her face. She was visibly scared. 'I'll fuss at him when he gets home.'

'I'm going to give him a piece of my mind when he gets home. Of all things to buy him. He's only a year old and already zooming around on a broomstick.'

'My son is going to be an excellent Quidditch player, this proves it,' James interrupted, a large grin on his face. He lifted Harry off the broomstick, murmured a few more words and let it drop to the grass. 'An excellent Quidditch player.'

Ten days later, I sat in our living room, a book resting on my stomach. Sirius was a few days late, but I knew if I thought about it, I would work myself into a tizzy. He might have gotten stuck doing one last thing for the mission. I was sure he was fine, right?

After Harry's party, I came back home and spent the afternoon tidying up the flat. I tried a full overhaul, doing everything from vacuuming to cleaning the bathroom. It had been a while since we'd cleaned everything and I needed something to keep my mind of him. Once I was finished, the flat was cleaner than I had ever seen it.

Now, ten days after Harry's party, I was dozing on the couch and listening to soft classical music playing on our stereo. The sound of the front door opening pulled me from my near-sleep state and I jumped up, turning toward the door. For a fraction of a second I was terrified, until I remembered that the bad guys always teleported into our flat. I had never seen one open the door. 'Oh goodness, you're home,' I whispered, walking quickly toward him, my book abandoned where it fell on the floor. 'You're back.'

He dropped his duffle onto the floor and opened his arms. 'I'm back,' he whispered, his arms wrapping around me, holding me tightly to him.

I buried my face in his chest, closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. He was home. He was finally home. 'I've missed you more than you can imagine.'

'I don't know, I missed you quite a bit myself.' His fingers threaded through my hair and pressed his lips to my forehead.

'Where's Remus? Did you take him home already?' I pulled back and looked up into his face for the first time in over three weeks. He had scrapes and scratches all over his face and neck, and a bruise forming over his left eye. 'What happened?' I asked, running my fingers along the longest scratch.

Taking my hands, Sirius led me back to the living room and over to the sofa. 'I dropped Remus off before heading here. He was pretty badly beaten and needed to rest. We were fine until the other day. It was a pretty tough raid and they fought back. I'm fine,' he said, noting my worried look. 'The bruise looks worse than it is.'

I bit my lip and shifted on the sofa, resting my head against his chest. I had to hide my face or I would betray my emotions. I didn't want to show him how scared and worried I was, he didn't need to see. Although, I was certain he already knew. 'I'm just glad you're back safe and sound.'

'Me too, Kris, me too.' He slid his fingers through my hair again and lightly squeezed me. I felt a shudder go through him and bit my tongue once again. _Don't say anything, Krista_ I thought, closing my eyes. _Don't say anything at all._

* * *

**AN: Sorry it's a short chapter! I tried to get it out quickly as I haven't updated in a while. Thank you so much to the people who reviewed the last chapter and have stuck with me over the past few years. There are four chapters and an epilogue left!**

**Thank you again!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

After Sirius and Remus returned, the majority of the month was quiet. We stayed home, only going out for a short while and then back before dark. I attended another London Symphony concert and a musical, writing reviews for both. Sirius went to work and came home, choosing to spend the night with me rather than out with his friends or going on a mission. Not that the latter was actually a choice, of course.

I enjoyed the change, though I wasn't sure what it meant. Was it getting so bad now that he wanted to spend the remaining moments with me? Or was it getting better and he didn't need to be out as often? Both questions were plausible, but I couldn't ask for fear of upsetting him or worse. Sirius' temper had been short lately, especially when I asked about the magical world. I understood he was trying to keep me safe, but it was awfully annoying.

'When did you want to go to the Potter's? I figure after lunch would probably be best,' I said, looking up from my papers. Sirius was flipping through a motorbike magazine, his eyes catching the pictures of scantily clad girls. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him. Boys.

'After lunch is fine. Prongs'll be happy to see me no matter when we show up. From what Lily said, he's about driven her crazy. Did you see the letter she sent me last week?

Smiling, I looked back down at the papers. 'I'm sure you're just as happy to see him as he is to see you. Last time I was over there, he was very antsy. Though, he was excited to see the birthday gift you got for Harry. Lily, not as much.'

He grinned over at me and I knew it was true. He missed his best mate. 'I knew Evans wouldn't like it. She probably had a heart attack when Harry opened it.'

'Something like that,' I answered, shaking my head. Shifting on the sofa, I lay down, my legs stretched out in front of me.

We were quiet again, listening to the sounds on the telly as we each looked over our items. I was skimming over the pages of my novel, not anywhere near completed, but still in desperate need of editing.

Sirius and I were rapidly closing on our one-year anniversary and I was getting nervous. It was strange to realize we had been together almost one-year. So much had happened; we had lost so many people… It was mental to think I had a long relationship after Ian.

I had been thinking about the future lately, wondering about certain things like family and us. If we had children, would they be magical? Would I have to send my children to the magic school Sirius went to? Would I have to worry about my children being involved in this dangerous yet interesting world?

'Can I ask you a question?' The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them. I hadn't wanted to ask, not now, not when things were so precarious. But now that I had started, I wasn't sure I could stop, or come up with a fake question instead.

'Of course,' he said offhandedly, still looking at the magazine. He glanced up at me over the paper, his eyes curious. 'What do you want to ask?'

My cheeks grew warm as I met his eyes, unsure of his reaction to my question. 'Do wizards marry muggles often? I mean, is it an oddity or is it fairly common?'

Whatever question Sirius thought I was going to ask, this most certainly wasn't it. His jaw had dropped open, forming an almost perfect circle with his mouth. His eyes, while before curious, now grew guarded. 'All the time, why?'

'I… I was just thinking about the future,' I said, pausing. 'If we were to get married and have kids, would they be magical?'

He raised an eyebrow, but surprisingly answered me. 'Usually children born to any magical adult has the ability, but even between two magical adults, there's the possibility that the kid will be born without any powers. Why do you want to know? You're not…?' He asked, a scared look on his face.

'Oh no,' I said, backpedalling quickly. 'I was just thinking about the future. Lily said something a while ago and…'

'Lily, huh? I'm sure she did say something. Lily needs to remember to keep her nose out of other people's business,' Sirius said, looking down at his magazine once again.

'Can I ask you something else?' I asked, suddenly feeling very brave. He accepted the past few questions without too much protest; maybe he would answer these as well. 'What's your family like? I mean, I know they're… they wouldn't like me…' I trailed off, feeling my cheeks grow warm once again.

If I thought his face was shocked before, he was beyond stunned this time. 'It… it doesn't matter,' he replied, looking up from the magazine once again.

'It matters to me,' I said softly, forcing myself to meet his eyes.

Sighing, Sirius closed the magazine and dropped it onto the couch next to him. 'All right, you want to know?' I bit my lip, nodding slowly; afraid he might blow up and yell at me, or worse, ignore me and go upstairs. 'My mum is pure evil. The devil himself would be frightened of her and my father wasn't much better. He died back in '79. He at least didn't try to kick me out. My brother, Regulus, was the perfect little son, perfect little Slytherin.'

I cocked my head to the side, confused. 'Slytherin?'

'At Hogwarts, there are different houses, just like a regular boarding school. There's Ravenclaw: the smart ones, Hufflepuff: the nice ones, Gryffindor: the brave ones, and Slytherin: the evil ones.'

'Which house were you in?'

'Gryffindor. So were James, Remus, Peter and Lily. My whole family, almost every single one of them, was in Slytherin so when I was sorted, it was a pretty big deal, until Mum found out I wasn't placed where I should be. She wrote to Professor Dumbledore, begging for him to move me, offering up any amount of money and treasure but he wouldn't budge. She didn't do it right away, it took a year or so, but she disowned me. Going home was pure hell. When I was sixteen, I ran away, went to live with James and his parents.'

'You don't have any relatives you get along with, other than Andromeda?'

He shook his head. 'I had a Great Uncle who felt bad for me and left me a rather large sum of money. It's how I was able to get this flat and live on my own so soon after turning 17.'

'Why 17?'

'Wizards and witches come of age at 17. It's supposed to be a big deal and most families have large parties. I had a small one at school with my mates, but that's all I wanted.'

I fell silent, absorbing this new information. He'd never spoken to me about his family before, other than the comments of how they wouldn't like me because I had no magical powers. It was nice to know; even if the knowledge wasn't something I really enjoyed learning.

He laughed and I looked up alarmed. 'What?'

'I was just picturing my mother's face if I ever brought you home to meet her. It might be amusing to say the least. We should plan that for next year,' he said with a grin.

I paled, terrified by the idea of meeting his mother. Having to meet Andromeda and her daughter was terrifying enough. 'I…' I stuttered, not sure if he was serious or not.

After catching the look on my face, Sirius burst out laughing, a loud bark of a laugh. 'Don't worry, love. I won't ever force you to meet my Mum. She wouldn't let me near the house even if I wanted to.'

'So,' I stared, 'even if you weren't disowned for being in Gryffindor, you would be for seeing me. That's what Mi…' I took a deep breath. 'That's what Michael was talking about.' I looked down at my hands, avoiding his eyes.

Crossing the short distance between us, Sirius sat next to me, taking my hand in his. 'Yes. But, we don't need to worry about that. Do we?' He reached up and tilted my chin up so that I met his eyes.

Forcing a smile, I shook my head. 'No,' I whispered.

He leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. I closed my eyes, revelling in their softness, his tongue sliding along my bottom lip. 'I love you,' he whispered when he pulled away.

'I love you, too,' I whispered back, a small smile on my lips.

'Are you going to be okay if I go visit James? '

'Sure, why wouldn't I be?' I tried to laugh, showing I wasn't the least bit disturbed by what he told me, but I knew it wasn't believable. The thought of his family honestly scared me.

Sirius raised an eyebrow before kissing me lightly on the forehead. 'I won't be gone long. No doubt Lily will want to rip me a new one for buying Harry that broom.'

'Nah, she wasn't that upset,' I said with a smile.

'I'll be back later.' He squeezed my shoulder as he stood. 'Make sure the door is locked,' he said as he reached the front door. 'I'll be back soon.'

Turning to look over the back of the sofa, I watched him disappear with a loud crack. I winced and jumped up, spinning toward the door. He had gone and even though I knew he wouldn't be gone long, I still yearned for his return. Almost a year with him. Really?

I walked slowly to the door and checked the lock. No doubt it wouldn't keep out any magical beings, but it would keep out any human thieve or trespassers.

The phone rang as I was walking back to the sofa and I detoured to the kitchen, lifting the receiver off the cradle. 'Hello?'

'_Krista! It's so nice to hear your voice.'_ I silently groaned at the sound of my mother's voice. I always talk to her several times a week, but she still insists on acting surprised to hear me.

'Hi, Mum,' I said, sitting on a barstool near the counter. 'How are you and Dad?'

'_Oh, we're all go__od! Alan has a new girlfriend.'_ My mother spends the next twenty minutes telling me the gossip of my old neighbourhood. The Cauldwells had moved out of the house next door and the Martins had moved in. My older brother had a new girlfriend and my younger sister had broken up with her boyfriend. Sadly, I seemed to be the only one in the family able to hold a relationship for longer than a few months. Who would have thought? _'So I was thinking about Christmas this year. Would you like to come here for the holiday? I was hoping to get everyone together, at least for one day. Sirius is invited, of course,' she added, as if I wouldn't bring him anyway. _

'I'll think about it, Mum. We've got a few months until Christmas, it's only the end of August.'

I could hear my mother's chuckle on the other end of the phone. _'Of course! I was just thinking ahead. You know how I like to plan.'_

'I know, Mum. We'll think about it, I promise.'

As my mother started talking again, I shifted in and out. _'Okay Krista, I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Tell Sirius I said hello. You know how much I like him.'_

'Yes, Mum, I will. Love you.'

'_Love you, too.'_ My mother hung up before I even opened my mouth to say goodbye. One of these days, I was going to call her back just to say goodbye and then hang up. Maybe then she wouldn't just hand up on me.

After hanging up the telephone, I headed back to the living room and sat on the sofa. I curled my legs underneath me and stared at the telly, barely paying attention to the storyline on the program. I thought back to the conversation Sirius and I just had, about family and children. Could we have a family? Would I have kids that looked like Sirius? The thought was a happy one and a smile crossed my face as I pictured our children. Someday, maybe.

* * *

**AN: How about this... 2 chapters almost back to back. Thanks to: AllenPitt, grumpypirate, Bri. P, House Elf Educator and LadyStrider17 for reviewing the previous chapter. And thanks to all the people who favorited and alerted this story.**

**Thanks everyone!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

September flew by and now we were into October, the end of to be specific. Why is it that the older one gets, the faster the year goes? It felt like just yesterday we were celebrating Christmas, or even last October when we first started dating. Where does the time go?

It's October 28th. I woke up that morning wondering if he remembered why today was so special. I assumed no, mostly because he was a man. Men never remember important days like birthdays or anniversaries. But Sirius was not like most other men I knew.

Later that afternoon, I stood at the sink, my hands in the hot, soapy water and stared out the window. Sirius went to a meeting for his 'group', leaving me home. Strangely, I enjoyed the alone time. Sirius had been spending so much time at home that I wasn't able to be alone much. Even though I didn't always enjoy being alone, it did have its perks every once in a while.

As I let the water run down the drain, I heard the front door open, then shut and lock. Sirius' heavy footsteps sounded in the hall and within seconds, he had stepped into the kitchen.

'Hey, love. I didn't know what you wanted for dinner, so I didn't pick anything up at the store,' I said without turning around. I waited for the feel of his hands on my waist, but they never came.

"Krista, we need to talk." Sirius said sombrely. Startled, I turned quickly and grabbed a dishtowel from the counter.

His tone scared me as did his eyes. Normally, they sparkled with some unsaid joke, but now they were dark, terrifying. 'What about?' I asked cautiously, tossing the dishtowel onto the counter. I leaned against it, my arms crossed over my chest. The hard wood of the counter was digging into my back, but at the moment I didn't care.

Everything from someone's death to a break-up flew through my mind. I hated moments of surprise, moments when I didn't know what was going to happen.

Sirius took my hands in his andled me into the living room, sitting me on the couch. The last time he did this, he disappeared for close to a month on a mission. Was he leaving again? Please don't let him leave, I thought as I chewed my lip. Not today. Not today of all days.

He took a deep breath and met my eyes with a sad smile. 'I shouldn't be telling you this; I definitely shouldn't be telling you this.' He sighed and shook his head. 'The "bad guys,"' he put those words in air-quotes, 'that James, Peter, Remus and I have been fighting…' he trailed off, nervously looking down at his hands. I wanted to shake him for pausing.

'What? What about them?' I was nervous, understandably. I twisted my hands together and stared at him, my eyes wide. The bad guys were the ones who kidnapped me, killed several of his friends (and mine), and were the reason everyone in the wizarding world was terrified. 'Sirius, you have to tell me.'

'They're after us; well, James and Lily specifically. So they're going into hiding.'

'What do you mean, "they're after you?" What does that mean?' I shivered despite the warm room and wrapped my arms tightly around me. I understood that they were fighting this bad guy. But why were they so important that they were top on his list? What could they have possibly done to be on the top of that list?

He squeezed my hand tightly and stared into my eyes. 'Look, everything's going to be fine. Voldemort won't get them, I promise. He won't get me either.'

For a moment, I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that everyone I loved would be safe. But with our recent track record regarding friends, my hope fell quickly. 'Voldemort?' I asked, suddenly hearing that name for the first time. Who was that?

Sirius sighed and looked away, and I assumed he realised he had said too much. He had never mentioned that name before, "Voldemort is in charge of the Death Eaters, the bad guys. He's the one causing this whole mess.' He trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.

'Why James and Lily? What's going on?'

'I shouldn't be telling you this…'

'Yes, well, you are, so start talking. You can't just tell me something like that and then drop it. What's in my imagination is probably worse that what's actually happening.' I was worried. What was going to happen to them? To us?

He sighed again and shook his head, looking down at his hands clasped in his lap. 'I… okay. Voldemort is a man who… he's decided he wants to be in charge. He's the person my parents would love to have in power. He doesn't like muggles and has the belief that having magic means we should be in control over everyone.

'We've been trying to stop him, it's just… it's not working the way we planned. There was this… he thinks that we're going to kill him. But don't worry,' he reached out and squeezed my hands tightly. 'I will not let anything happen to you.'

When before I was worried, I was now terrified. For the first time in quite a while, I wasn't worried about myself. 'For once, I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you, and Lily and James and Harry. What's going to happen, Sirius?'

'I don't know, Kris, I just don't know.' He paused, and suddenly looked so much older than his twenty-two years. 'We're hiding. I don't want you leaving the house unless I'm with you. We're going to wait this out here. I won't be going to work, as a matter of fact, I won't be here much either. I need to hide too. I'm…I'm sort of "in charge" of James and Lily.'

'What does that mean, "in charge"? You have to hide too? You won't be here, with me?' My heart pounded in my chest and I was certain he could hear it. He ran a hand through his hair, longer than when I met him. I liked it shorter. 'Sirius, you're not doing anything dangerous, are you?'

'Love, everything I do is dangerous,' he said with his trademark grin.

'Can't you be serious?'

I didn't think it was possible, but his grin grew large. 'I am always Sirius.'

Sighing loudly, I rolled my eyes, unable to hide the smile on my lips. 'That joke is old, Sirius. I think you used it on the cavemen.'

'It made you smile.' He brought my hand to his lips and lightly kissed the back. 'Don't worry about me,' he said softly, bringing us back to the conversation at hand.

'I always worry about you. You…,' I broke off, unable to finish where I wanted the sentence to go.

He scooted back on the couch and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me in close. I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes. His heart pounded in his chest and I smiled at the sound. 'What's going to happen?'

When Sirius didn't answer, I pulled back and turned, looking up at his face. 'You don't know what's going to happen, do you?'

'Not a clue, love.'

I bit my lip and leaned back into him, silent. What a way to celebrate our anniversary. My friends might not be killed at any moment. I had feared for my life more than enough times in the past year, now I was afraid for my friends. Could this _Voldemort_ actually hurt them? Could he kill them?

'Hey,' he said softly as his lips brushed the top of my head. 'Don't worry.'

'Easy for you to say. You never worry. You're always cool and calm.'

A bark-like laugh came from his throat and I looked up in alarm. 'Kris, I'm never cool and calm. I worry every day whether or not we'll make it out of this alive.' His hand came up and he brushed my cheek, sliding back a lock of hair. 'I'm always worried; I'm always scared. I worry all the time that when I leave the house, I might not come back. The idea of leaving you terrifies me.'

Tears filled my eyes and I forced myself to look away. 'Don't cry,' he said softly. 'I promise, Krista, I promise that I won't leave you if I can help it.'

'Don't promise that,' I whispered, hot tears sliding down my cheeks. 'You can't promise that.'

He leaned in, his lips brushing mine. I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in the kiss. It had been too long since we kissed like this. 'This is a bad way to spend an anniversary.'

'You remembered.' Opening my eyes, I grin up at him despite my tears.

'Of course I did. Come on.' He wiped away the tears on my cheeks with his thumbs before taking my hands and leading me the stairs.

When we reached our room, he sat me on the bed and disappeared into the closet. 'Close your eyes,' he said with his back to me.

'What? Seriously?'

'Yes. Close. Your. Eyes.'

Rolling my eyes, I sighed, but promptly closed my eyes, even taking a moment to cover them with my hands. 'Okay,' he said a minute later. 'Open them.'

I took my hands away from my eyes and opened them. His hands were held in front of me with a small box. 'Don't get any ideas,' he said before I could form a coherent thought. 'It's not what you think it is.' Of course the only thing I thought it could be was a ring. Surely that wasn't how he was going to propose?

Sirius sat down next to me on the bed and handed me the box. 'Then what is it?' I asked, my voice shaking as bad as my hands.

'Open it and find out.'

Raising an eyebrow, I took the box and opened it. My heart pounded as I looked down at the small silver ring. 'Sirius…'

'No, I told you it's not what you think. I wouldn't propose like that.' He took the ring between his fingers and held it out. 'It's a promise ring. I'm promising that one day, hopefully real soon, we'll get married and life happily ever after. I'm promising that I will make you happy and keep you safe.'

'Sirius,' I said again, my voice trailing off as my eyes filled with tears once again.

He slid the ring onto my finger and brought my hand to his lips. 'I love you.'

'I love you, too.'

He kissed my hand again before squeezing it. 'No matter what I have to do, I will keep you safe. I promise, Kris.'

'I know,' I said softly. 'But please do me one thing.' I wrapped my hands around his and squeezed lightly. When he nodded, I took a deep breath. 'Please keep yourself safe. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you.'

'I'll do my best.'

'Thank you. For that and for the ring. It's beautiful.'

Without saying a word, he slid up the bed and pulled me with him. I cuddled into his side, rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes. I could feel his heart beat through his shirt and for that moment, everything was okay.

* * *

**AN: Thank you to ., the_werewolf_gal, HouseElfDictator, ktmt1120, and LadyStrider17 for reviewing the previous chapter and for everyone who added this to an alert/favorite list. Only 1 more chapter and an epilogue left! After that... I do have a sequel planned that is already _way_ more detailed and _much_ longer than I anticipated.**

**Thank you again for reading! I really appreciate it!**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Halloween night was one of my favourite nights of the year. I loved handing out candy to children dressed in different costumes and I loved seeing their faces light up. This year, I couldn't hand out candy, couldn't open the door, couldn't dress up.

Sirius had disappeared a few days previous, telling me that he needed to go into hiding. James, Lily and Harry were in danger and he was in charge of them. He placed some sort of spell over the house to protect me and then vanished with a loud crack. He told me that I shouldn't leave the house and not to open the door for anyone. No handing out candy this year. I couldn't even answer if my Mum stopped by. The "bad guys" could pretend to be anyone, including my Mum.

I watched out the kitchen window as kids walked past and glanced up at the dark front of our flat. There were no lights on outside, no indication for the kids to come up and get candy. Damn.

Despite the warmth of the kitchen, I shivered, pulling the front of my sweater tighter around me. Where was Sirius? What the hell was going on? I wanted to know why my life was in danger, why his was.

All he told me was that someone named Voldemort was looking for them. This man wanted to kill James, Lily and Harry, and Sirius too. They were supposed to be protected, supposed to be safe in their house. What if he got to them? What if he got to Sirius? What if he got to me? I was just a muggle; I didn't even know half of what was going on in their world. What would I do if something happened to them?

We had already lost so many people, Marlene, Dorcas and Liz to just name a few. Would I be okay if something happened to him? Would he be okay if something happened to Lily and James?

A loud knock sounded on the front door and I jumped nearly a foot in the air. My heart raced as I shut off the kitchen light and tiptoed to the front door. Who the hell was here? I placed my shaking hands on the door and peered through the peephole. I was met with grey eyes and curly black hair.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I moved to open the door, pausing for just a moment. What if it wasn't him? 'Sirius?' I called out, still watching him through the peephole.

'You need to ask the question,' he called back and I rolled my eyes.

The question. The Ministry of Magic had warned everyone of the possibility of "bad guys" impersonating friends and family. We were supposed to assign a special question for each family member. Sirius had decided on ours weeks ago. Personally, I thought it was silly. Wouldn't the "bad guys" figure out the question and answer? Why would they even wait for an answer? Why not just attack? 'Where did we meet?'

'That little pub by your old flat, October 22, 1980. What happened on Christmas this year?'

Again, I rolled my eyes. 'You had to leave, first thing in the morning. Sandy… Sandy was killed.' Without waiting for a response, I turned the lock and pulled open the door. Before he even stepped over the threshold, I opened my arms and pulled him toward me. 'Oh, I've missed you,' I breathed into his shoulder, burying my face there.

'I missed you, too,' he said back, his hand running through my hair.

We stood there, in the doorway for a full minute before stepping back into the house. 'Do you want some tea? Something to eat?' I asked when we separated, looking directly into his face for the first time. 'What's wrong?' His eyes were bloodshot and his face worn and tired. In just a few days, he had gone from the bright twenty-two year old into someone much older. What had happened?

'Nothing,' he said softly, his voice cracking. 'Nothing's wrong.'

I eyed him warily, but nodded, not wanting to push him too far. 'So, tea?'

'Yes, please,' he said softly, turning away from me and heading to the living room.

I stood in the vestibule, watching him in the living room before retreating to the kitchen. As I set the water on to boil, I watched him. Something was wrong. What happened? Was he okay? Was everything okay? Where had he been? Was someone hurt or worse, killed?

'Here's your tea,' I said, walking into the living room with two cups. He reached out and took a cup, holding it between his hands.

I curled up on the couch near him, silently watching the scary movie on the telly. The large breasted blonde girl ran up the stairs as the killer ran behind her. I only had it on to keep me in the Halloween mood, I really hated scary movies.

It was chilly in the house and I curled my fingers around the cup, trying to absorb all the heat I could. Before Sirius arrived, I had been wrapped up in a blanket to keep warm, but now he was sitting on it.

We were silent, watching the telly and the screaming girls. The atmosphere was tense, awkward even. It hadn't felt like this since… ever actually. I had always felt comfortable around him, even when we first got together.

Awkward. Leaving my now empty teacup on the side table, I shifted and lay down on the couch, resting my head on his lap. Closing my eyes, I sighed softly as his hand rubbed my shoulder. 'I've missed you, and you haven't even been gone for that long.'

When he didn't reply, I turned over and looked up at him. Fresh tears had slid down his cheeks, though I could tell he was trying hard to hide them. 'What is wrong?' I exclaimed, sitting up quickly. 'I've only seen you cry one other time, and that was after Marlene. Sirius…' I begged, reaching out to hold his hand tightly. 'Please tell me.'

To say I was worried was an understatement. I was scared of him… for him… 'Nothing,' he said softly, reaching out a hand to cup my chin. He pulled me towards him and pressed his lips to mine. His fingers tangled in my hair as his lips moved from mine down to my chin and neck. Standing, he picked me up and carried me toward the stairs, his lips not once leaving mine.

When we reached our bedroom, he laid me down on the bed and straddled me. 'I love you,' he whispered as he slid my shirt over my head. 'Don't ever forget that.'

'I love you too.' I pulled him back down toward me, kissing him fiercely as we struggled with the remainder of our clothes. I ran my fingers down his chest, all the thoughts of his tears vanished from my mind.

He laid me back on the bed, climbing over me, his weight pressing down. It wasn't uncomfortable, just enough pressure. 'Merlin, Krista,' he whispered as his lips found my neck again.

When we finished, we cuddled in the bed, our arms wrapped around each other. My head rested on his chest as I ran my fingers along his stomach. I softly kissed his bare skin, happy and content for the time being. His previous attitude and tears forgotten for the moment, and the only thing left was happiness. 'Are you staying the night? Or do you have to go back to wherever you were?'

'I can stay for a little while,' he said softly, his voice rumbling in his chest. 'Not the whole night though. I… have something I need to do.'

'Well, I'm happy to have you here right now, at least. If I fall asleep, wake me before you leave, okay?' Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and sighed softly.

'Sure thing,' he said, pressing a soft kiss on my forehead.

My breathing slowed as I listened to his heartbeat. We hadn't slept in the same bed in days and it felt like so much longer. I hadn't realized how accustomed I'd grown to having him around. His arms were warm around me and it was comforting to have him this close. For the first time in days, I wasn't afraid. Nothing could hurt me as long as I was in his arms.

_**Sirius POV**_

I watch her, sleeping in our bed. Her head is on my chest and I'm running my fingers through her hair. She's dreaming, a small smile on her lips. All I want to do is stay here, with her, forever. But I can't. I need to find him. I need to make him pay for what he did to them… to poor Harry. He killed them. He may not have fired the curse, but he betrayed them. He's the reason Harry will grow up without parents. He's the reason my best mate is…gone.

I brush a lock of hair from her face and lightly kiss her forehead. 'I love you,' I whisper, hoping that she can hear me in her dreams. 'I'm sorry, Kris, I'm so sorry, but I can't have you remember this. I can't have you remember anything to do with magic. They'll hurt you, they'll hurt you and I can't have that. It's bad enough James and…' My voice broke as tears slid down my cheeks. 'I can't lose you, too.'

Carefully, I shift in the bed and move her head to the pillow. I've never been so thankful that she was such a sound sleeper. Leaning in, I kiss her again, this time on her lips. 'I love you,' I whisper again, pulling my wand out as I shift away from her. 'I'm sorry.' Silently, I concentrate on exactly what she needs to forget. She can't know about magic, can't know about what really happened to our best mates. 'Obliviate.'

I rummage around the flat, trying to destroy anything that shows signs of magic. All my photographs are packed away and then shrunk, same with my school textbooks and supplies. If this worked as planned, I'd be back soon. I could lift the memory charm and we'd live happily ever after. But, if something happened and I didn't come back, she was safe. If I do nothing else, I need to keep her safe.

Heading back up the stairs, I walk quietly to her lingerie chest and open the top drawer. Her journal is buried underneath some unmentionables. She wrote about magic in here, I skimmed it the other day. I know, I'm bloody scum for reading her diary.

I bend over her one last time and lightly kiss her forehead. 'I love you, Krista. If nothing else, I hope you remember that.'

Then, as quietly as I can, I slide off the bed and head back downstairs, carrying the journal with me. I walk outside and lock the door behind me. I remove the protection spell I placed over the flat last week and look one last time at our front door. All the happy memories, all the fun times we had here…

There was one stop to make, my dear old mum's place. I need to drop off this small pile of things and Krista's journal. Here's hoping I can get in and out before Mum finds me.

I glance up at the house, sigh and turn my back to it. No time to dwell. I need to kill Peter Pettigrew. I need to make him pay.


	40. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

I wait, and wait, and wait some more. Five minutes is a very long time when something this important is on the line. Leaving the bathroom, I take a quick walk down the hall and around the flat. I shake my hands and return to the bathroom, picking up the small object that held my attention.

I look intently at the small cylindrical tube in my hands. The line is bright pink. My breath catches in my throat as I stare down at it, my heart racing. What am I going to do?

Sitting down on the loo, I continue to stare. I had no one aside from my parents. No boyfriend, not now that he was in prison. How did I get into this predicament? I shook my head, knowing exactly how. Sirius Black. Seven mornings ago, I had woken to find my boyfriend on the local news. He had been accused of murdering James and Lily Potter, Peter Pettigrew and the attempted murder of Harry Potter, a one-year old infant. Our best mates. James and Lily were our best mates; I frequently babysat Harry while they went out.

I sigh. I am alone, with a baby on the way. How can I have a baby?

He disappeared that night and I hadn't known why. He went to kill them. Peter tried to stop him, tried to save Lily and James, but Sirius killed him as well.

Now, I'm pregnant with his baby. The child of a murderer. It couldn't be anyone else's; I hadn't slept with another man in over a year.

Can I raise a child on my own? Is it possible? Was Mum going to be angry with me? How about Dad?

* * *

**AN: Thank you so much to everyone who has ever read/reviewed/alerted/favorited this story. I appreciate your comments/reviews more than you can ever imagine. The first chapter of the sequel, entitled _After the Darkness,_ will be posted later this afternoon.**

**Thank you again. I never imagined I'd get over 200 reviews on this when I started. Feel free to leave me a quick review and let me know what you think. And I hope that you all check out the sequel. THANKS AGAIN!**


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